Scientists have found several hundred autism-related genes using algorithms similar to those which Facebook uses to help find friends find friends.

Researchers from Princeton University and the Simons Foundation in New Jersey have discovered the genes, which could be used to uncover the cause of the condition in future studies.

Autism, found in approximately one in every 68 children, is a lifelong condition which can affect a person’s ability to socialise and integrate properly with the rest of the world.

Princeton’s landmark study used a machine-learning program to identify the entire human genome to begin searching for genes that could potentially lead to the disorder.

Just 65 genes were linked before the study, but now scientists predict that there could be anywhere between 400 – 1000 genes playing a role in autism.

Using an algorithm influenced by Facebook, researcher Arjun Krishnan explained the basis of the study.

He said: “If Facebook wanted to find out who your friends are and wanted to suggest a friend for you, what they would do is find out who your friends are and then find out other people who are friends with those same people.

“So that’s how they give you suggestions of new friends you might know. We used a very, very similar strategy”.

While autism research has yet to find a cause or cure, this study has delivered a platform on which other researchers can expand on.

Dr Krishnan said: “Geneticists can now focus on the top-ranked autism-risk gene predictions from our machine-learning program, both to direct future genome sequencing studies and to prioritise individual genes for experimental studies.”