https://ki.se RSS News Listing https://news.ki.se/understanding-everyday-functioning-in-autism-and-adhd To provide timely and effective support, we need to understand more than symptoms and diagnoses. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet are therefore working to make it easier to build a holistic picture of how an autistic person or a person with ADHD functions in everyday life and in their surrounding context. The aim is to enable earlier, more individualized support—both within healthcare and beyond. Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:51:07 +0200 https://news.ki.se/shortcomings-in-school-support-for-students-with-autism-and-adhd-highlighted-in-the-swedish-parliament The Swedish Parliament’s Committee on Education presented its new report on schooling and academic outcomes for students with ADHD and autism during an open session on 31 March. Sven Bölte, professor of child and adolescent psychiatric science at Karolinska Institutet, was invited to comment on the findings. Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:21:25 +0200 https://news.ki.se/screening-tests-for-autism-miss-many-children-at-risk M-CHAT does not catch all children with autism in the neonatal high-risk group, shows a study from Karolinska Institutet published in JAMA Network Open. The researchers see a need to supplement the test with other assessment methods. Fri, 27 Mar 2026 17:52:22 +0100 https://news.ki.se/everyone-benefits-from-neuro-inclusive-public-transport For neurodivergent people, noise and crowding can become decisive obstacles. Mo Sarraf studies how cities can be planned to better accommodate these needs. Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:46:35 +0100 https://news.ki.se/autnetki-transdisciplinary-pilot-project-grants-2026 AutNetKI hereby announces up to four (4) pilot project grants of SEK 100,000 each to support transdisciplinary collaborations that can generate proof-of-principle data, methods, or feasibility evidence and catalyse larger autism research projects. Thu, 05 Mar 2026 11:13:12 +0100 https://news.ki.se/research-shows-mixed-reactions-to-diversity-friendly-initiatives Silent clapping, often referred to as “jazz hands”, is becoming popular as a way to make events more neurodivergent friendly. A new study from Karolinska Institutet shows that both neurodivergent and neurotypical people are generally positive towards the practice, although opinions vary widely. The study also highlights differing language preferences, with many participants indicating that both identity‑first and person‑first terms are acceptable. Mon, 16 Feb 2026 13:43:02 +0100 https://news.ki.se/study-maps-the-role-of-a-master-regulator-in-early-brain-development New findings from Karolinska Institutet reveal how the gene HNRNPU coordinates several fundamental molecular processes during the earliest stages of human brain development. The study is published in Nucleic Acids Research and helps explain why children with pathogenic variants in HNRNPU often develop severe neurodevelopmental disorders, including intellectual disability, autism, and epilepsy. Thu, 12 Feb 2026 13:39:23 +0100 https://news.ki.se/mindfulness-based-treatment-may-reduce-stress-in-autistic-adults Autistic adults who took part in an adapted group-based programme in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) reported reduced stress and improved ability to cope with everyday challenges. These findings come from a new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Autism in Adulthood. Wed, 28 Jan 2026 13:04:30 +0100 https://news.ki.se/autistic-children-born-preterm-often-show-more-complex-needs-but-share-similar-genetic-background A new study shows that children born preterm who are later diagnosed with autism often present with more extensive support needs and a higher number of co-occurring conditions than autistic children born at full term. Surprisingly, however, the researchers found no differences in genetic variants across the genome, nor in specific genes already linked to autism, between the groups – a result that contradicted their initial hypothesis. Thu, 04 Dec 2025 11:27:19 +0100 https://news.ki.se/future-research-leaders-arvid-guterstam-talks-about-the-work-so-far When the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) selected the research leaders of the future three years ago as part of the prestigious programme ‘Future Research Leaders’ (FFL), KI researcher Arvid Guterstam was one of the 16 selected. The award offers researchers the opportunity to further develop their research with a grant of SEK 15 million over a five-year period. Halfway through the programme, Arvid Guterstam talks here about his results within the framework of the programme. Tue, 23 Sep 2025 15:30:09 +0200 https://news.ki.se/guidance-into-adulthood-with-autism-and-adhd-the-right-support-makes-it-easier Becoming an adult is challenging for most people, but for individuals with autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions, the transition to adulthood can be particularly demanding. In her dissertation, researcher Maria Löthberg at KI explored how the service support in daily living can be improved to better meet the needs of these young individuals. "The TRANSITION program was an effective tool for making the support more individualized and for increasing participant user involvement," she says Tue, 12 Aug 2025 13:47:12 +0200 https://news.ki.se/what-do-we-know-about-genes-and-environmental-factors-in-autism Associate Professor Kristiina Tammimies conducts frontline research on the medical, genetic, and molecular underpinnings of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Among other things, she and her research team are working on the complex and much debated issue of heredity versus environment as a cause of autism. Wed, 25 Jun 2025 13:32:22 +0200 https://news.ki.se/autism-linked-to-elevated-risk-of-parkinsons-disease People with an autism diagnosis are at a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease early in life, a large-scale study from Karolinska Institutet published in JAMA Neurology reports. The researchers believe that the two conditions can share underlying biological mechanisms. Tue, 27 May 2025 17:00:10 +0200 https://news.ki.se/new-study-links-dopamine-to-autism-symptoms Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have uncovered new insights into the mechanisms underlying autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study, recently published in Cell Reports, explores how changes in dopamine (DA) neurotransmission in the brain contribute to the behavioural symptoms of autism. Wed, 22 Jan 2025 09:02:07 +0100 https://news.ki.se/new-nih-grant-for-the-project-autism-in-preterm-birth Autism affects 2-3% of U.S. children and there is no cure. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to its etiology. Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have received an NIH grant of 2.5 million USD for the 5-year project "Autism in Preterm Birth". Tue, 21 Jan 2025 16:00:14 +0100 https://news.ki.se/ai-model-aids-early-detection-of-autism A new machine learning model can predict autism in young children from relatively limited information. This is shown in a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in JAMA Network Open. The model can facilitate early detection of autism, which is important to provide the right support. Mon, 19 Aug 2024 16:54:31 +0200 https://news.ki.se/autistic-adults-at-substantial-risk-of-injuries-and-age-related-conditions Older autistic adults have a significantly higher risk of injury, especially self-inflicted, and physical conditions such as type 2 diabetes, anaemia, heart failure and COPD. This is according to a large-scale registry study from Karolinska Institutet published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity. Wed, 07 Jun 2023 08:45:07 +0200 https://news.ki.se/autistic-women-have-increased-risk-of-mental-illness Autistic young men and women are more affected by psychiatric conditions and have an increased risk of being hospitalized as a result of their mental illness compared with non-autistic people. Autistic women are particularly vulnerable. This is shown by researchers from Karolinska Institutet in a study published in JAMA Psychiatry. Wed, 26 Oct 2022 17:00:05 +0200 https://news.ki.se/new-knowledge-about-the-link-between-infection-during-pregnancy-and-autism Infections in pregnant women have been linked to an increased risk of neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism, in the child later in life. But it does not seem to be the infections themselves that cause autism, researchers from Karolinska Institutet show in a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry. Thu, 08 Sep 2022 00:30:06 +0200 https://news.ki.se/a-new-form-of-therapy-for-autistic-individuals-has-been-evaluated A doctoral thesis at Karolinska Institutet has investigated whether Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be used for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The results show that the treatment can be carried out in both a school environment and in psychiatric outpatient care and can have an effect on, among other things, perceived stress. Wed, 18 May 2022 14:19:31 +0200 https://news.ki.se/mid-levels-of-immune-marker-at-birth-may-protect-against-autism Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have investigated the association between certain immune markers in neonates and the risk of later developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They found that mid-levels of a classical marker of inflammation, C-reactive protein, were associated with the lowest risk for ASD – whereas too much or not enough were linked to increased risk. The study is published in the scientific journal Biological Psychiatry. Tue, 10 Nov 2020 14:18:41 +0100 https://news.ki.se/imagery-reveals-autism-related-brain-differences People with autism spectrum disorder have lower levels of a protein that regulates the amount of serotonin in the brain, a paper from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry reports. For their study, the researchers used a molecular brain imaging technique to compare people with and without autism; their results offer hope of finding a drug that can alleviate the symptoms. Wed, 09 Sep 2020 12:46:38 +0200 https://news.ki.se/swine-flu-vaccination-in-pregnant-women-did-not-increase-risk-of-autism-in-offspring Two recent studies were unable to rule out that H1N1 (“swine flu”) vaccination (“Pandemrix”) and seasonal influenza vaccination given to pregnant women might be associated with autism spectrum disorder in the offspring. Now, a large study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, refutes any such association. Tue, 01 Sep 2020 06:00:05 +0200 https://news.ki.se/no-association-between-celiac-disease-and-autism A new registry study, dismiss the long-debated association between celiac disease – gluten intolerance – and increased risk of autism spectrum disorders. The study was led from Karolinska Institutet and is now published in JAMA Psychiatry. Thu, 26 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0200