---
title: "Psych News Alert: Larger Brain May Signal Regressive Autism"
description: Three-year-old boys with regressive autism, but not early-onset autism, have larger brains than their healthy counterparts, scientists repor...
image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/boy%20with%20autism%20maybe_48757051-Jun-24-2025-06-27-06-0284-PM.jpg
---

 12/5/11 12:00 AM

# Larger Brain May Signal Regressive Autism

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert)

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[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/boy%20with%20autism%20maybe_48757051-Jun-24-2025-06-27-07-8624-PM.jpg?width=133&height=200&name=boy%20with%20autism%20maybe_48757051-Jun-24-2025-06-27-07-8624-PM.jpg)](https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/boy%20with%20autism%20maybe_48757051-Jun-24-2025-06-27-06-9218-PM.jpg) 

Three-year-old boys with regressive autism, but not early-onset autism, have larger brains than their healthy counterparts, scientists reported November 28 in the *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.*

More information explaining the increasing body of knowledge about biological markers for autism, as well as many other aspects of the disorder—such as risk factors; diagnostic tests; and treatment options, including experimental, novel, and alternative therapies—can be found in the *[Textbook of Autism Spectrum Disorders](http://www.appi.org/SearchCenter/Pages/SearchDetail.aspx?ItemId=62341),* a new book from American Psychiatric Publishing that provides a comprehensive, up-to-date look at these disorders. The volume should be of considerable value to psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists, social workers, speech therapists, educators, and patients and their families.

(Image: Pixel Memoirs/Shutterstock.com)

[autism spectrum disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/autism-spectrum-disorder), [autism](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/autism), [autism risk factors](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/autism-risk-factors)

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[suicide](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/suicide), [autism](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/autism), [air pollution](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/air-pollution)

## [Study Finds Link Between Air Pollution and Autism](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/12/study-finds-link-between-air-pollution.html)

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[schizophrenia](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/schizophrenia), [autism spectrum disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/autism-spectrum-disorder), [psychiatry](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychiatry), [bipolar disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/bipolar-disorder), [autism](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/autism), [epidemiology](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/epidemiology), [psychiatric genetics](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychiatric-genetics)

## [Schizophrenia in Families May Be Risk Factor for Autism](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/11/schizophrenia-in-families-may-be-risk.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 11/7/12 12:00 AM

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[APA](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/apa), [autism spectrum disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/autism-spectrum-disorder), [psychiatry](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychiatry), [autism](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/autism), [autism risk factors](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/autism-risk-factors), [UCLA](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/ucla), [AAAS](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/aaas), [Beate Ritz](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/beate-ritz), [air pollution and mental health](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/air-pollution-and-mental-health)

## [New Evidence for Air Pollution as Autism Risk](https://alert.psychnews.org/2016/02/new-evidence-for-air-pollution-as.html)

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 2/16/16 12:00 AM

An interaction between genes conferring risk for autism and the prenatal environment may be...

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