Steve Bryson, PhD,  science writer—

Children with Fragile X syndrome (FXS) share some traits with those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but exhibit several differences in terms of brain’s traffic patterns, according to an MRI study. Associations between certain brain traffic patterns, which reflect different connections between brain regions that actively work together, and scores…

Researchers in Kansas and California will investigate people with the FMR1 premutation who are at risk of developing fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), a condition related to fragile X syndrome that develops late in life. The five-year project, supported by a $3.1-million grant from the National Institutes of Health, will…

Tetra Therapeutics has amended the protocols of two ongoing late-stage clinical trials testing zatolmilast, its experimental oral therapy for fragile X syndrome, to improve access for patients and their families. The similarly designed studies are recruiting up to 300 male fragile X patients at 15 sites across the…

How the brain processes sound varies across three neuropsychiatric feature-based subgroups of women who carry so-called premutations in FMR1, the gene associated with fragile X syndrome, a pilot study showed. “Our findings suggest a spectrum of sensory processing characteristics present in subgroups of premutation carriers that have been previously understudied…

A deficiency in the FMRP protein, the underlying cause of fragile X syndrome (FXS), may affect the system within nerve cells that breaks down unwanted proteins, a mouse study suggests. Data showed that FMRP, its related protein FXR1, and DLG4 gene’s messenger RNA (mRNA) are involved in this protein…

The NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) test accurately detects developmental changes in cognitive function among young people with intellectual disabilities, including those with fragile X syndrome, a study reports. Matching, or even exceeding, the changes detected in a standard IQ test over two years, the NIHTB-CB is a…

An enzyme called matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) is found at higher levels in the blood of people with fragile X syndrome than healthy people and may correlate with more aberrant behavior and anxiety-related symptoms, a study reported. Researchers determined total levels of MMP-9 and of its active form, but…

The International Fragile X Premutation Registry (IFXPR) — now enrolling — aims to accelerate research to better understand the impact on health of premutations in the gene associated with fragile X syndrome. One goal of the IFXPR, launched in the U.S. in 2020 and since going global,…

A combination of approved medicines — lovastatin and minocycline — significantly improved several behavioral characteristics in adults with fragile X syndrome, according to caregivers who participated in a Phase 2 clinical trial. The researchers said they believed this was the first trial to assess the safety and effectiveness of…

Boys, ages 2 to 6, with fragile X syndrome who have trouble talking can join the BRIDGE study to help researchers learn how brain development affects language growth. The study is being led by Carol Wilkinson, MD, PhD, at the Boston Children’s Hospital Labs of Cognitive Neuroscience in Massachusetts,…