Researchers find a single, surprising gene behind a disorder that causes intellectual disability

By LAURA UNGAR
AP Science Writer

Scientists have found the genetic root of a disorder that causes intellectual disability, which they estimate affects as many as one in 20,000 young people. Those with the condition have a constellation of issues, including intellectual disability, short stature, small heads, seizures and low muscle mass, said the researchers. They published their findings in the journal Nature Medicine on Friday. They estimated that the disorder is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders caused by genetic variants in a single gene outside of the X chromosome. They said the variants occurred in a small “non-coding” gene, meaning it doesn’t provide instructions for making proteins.