Association of a functional deficit of the BKCa channel, a synaptic regulator of neuronal excitability, with autism and mental retardation.

Objective: Autism is a complex, largely genetic psychiatric disorder. In the majority of cases, the cause of autism is not known, but there is strong evidence for a genetic etiology. To identify candidate genes, the physical mapping of balanced chromosomal aberrations is a powerful strategy, since several genes have been characterized in numerous disorders.