Aripiprazole, marketed as Abilify, is widely thought to be safer than risperidone, the only other drug approved for use in autistic children. A decade’s worth of data suggests that is not true.

Cell lines from individuals with macrocephalic autism spectrum disorder have an increased number of double-strand breaks in the DNA of long neural genes.

A mouse model of autism and postmortem brains of autistic individuals showed a lack of mature oligodendrocytes and less myelination than controls.

An accumulation of T cells and astrocytes in postmortem brain tissue hints at possible autoimmune origins for many cases of autism.

A study in mice suggests serotonin release underlies the drug’s prosocial effects while dopamine mediates the rewarding properties that drive its potential for abuse.

Experimental surgeries to prevent seizures may help scientists understand the link between autism and epilepsy.

Brain scans of autistic and non-autistic men reveal an association between white matter aberrations and the ages of their fathers at the time the sons were born.

So far, the only evidence that treatments like this one work is anecdotal.

Independent scientists say the original analysis is flawed; the authors stand by their work and are seeking outside statisticians to reanalyze the data.