A recent study conducted by researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm found that environmental factors do not explain the increased prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The study utilized twin methods to compare the genetic and environmental contributions to ASD prevalence. The researchers analyzed data from two Swedish twin cohorts and found that changes in the environment over time are unlikely to account for the changing prevalence of ASD.

The study also observed a modest increase in autistic traits over time, which was associated with increases in both environmental and genetic variance. The findings suggest that while environmental factors may contribute to ASD, they likely do so in a nonshared manner.

The original article can be found here.

You can read similar articles here.