Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Learning detailed navigation information causes hippocampal brain changes

Fifteen years ago, a study showed that the brains of London cab drivers had an enlargement in the hippocampus, a brain area associated with navigation. But questions remained: Did the experience of navigating London's complex system of streets change their brains, or did only the people with larger hippocampi succeed in becoming cab drivers? Now, Carnegie Mellon University scientists have determined that learning detailed navigation information causes the hippocampal brain changes.

28 Oct 2015

Oxytocin treatment improves social, emotional and behavioral problems among young kids with autism

A five week treatment with the synthetic hormone oxytocin significantly improved social, emotional and behavioral issues among young children with autism, according to University of Sydney research published today in Molecular Psychiatry.

27 Oct 2015

Love hormone may enhance pleasure of social interactions, UCI study finds

The hormone oxytocin, which has been associated with interpersonal bonding, may enhance the pleasure of social interactions by stimulating production of marijuana-like neurotransmitters in the brain, according to a University of California, Irvine study.

27 Oct 2015

Expectant mothers need to avoid certain cosmetics, cleaning agents and medicines during first trimester

Expectant mothers in their first trimester should avoid certain cosmetics, cleaning agents and medicines, to protect the developing fetal brain from chemicals that can trigger autism, York U health researchers have found.

27 Oct 2015

3-D model of animal brain provides more complete picture of brain's connectivity

The animal brain is so complex, it would take a supercomputer and vast amounts of data to create a detailed 3-D model of the billions of neurons that power it.

23 Oct 2015

Thalamic reticular nucleus responsible for the brain's ability to multitask, study reveals

Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center say they have added to evidence that a shell-shaped region in the center of the mammalian brain, known as the thalamic reticular nucleus or TRN, is likely responsible for the ability to routinely and seamlessly multitask.

22 Oct 2015

Scientists map out the brain circuitry critical for filtering out distractions

In a study of mice, scientists discovered that a brain region called the thalamus may be critical for filtering out distractions. The study, published in Nature and partially funded by the National Institutes of Health, paves the way to understanding how defects in the thalamus might underlie symptoms seen in patients with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and schizophrenia.

22 Oct 2015

Study shows how synapses organization is controlled

Our ability to learn, move, and sense our world comes from the neurons in our brain. This information moves through our brain between neurons that are linked together by tens of trillions of tiny structures called synapses.

20 Oct 2015

New genetic discovery could lead to better treatment for X-linked diseases

Think back to middle school biology class, when you learned that boys have an X and a Y chromosome inside each cell, and girls have two X's.

20 Oct 2015

Premature babies face increased risk of mental illness due to weakened connections in brain networks

Babies born prematurely face an increased risk of neurological and psychiatric problems that may be due to weakened connections in brain networks linked to attention, communication and the processing of emotions, new research shows.

19 Oct 2015

BET protein family plays key role in regulation of normal neuronal development and function

Regulation of a family of brain proteins known as bromodomain and extra-terminal domain containing transcription regulators (BETs) plays a key role in normal cognition and behavior, according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published advanced online on September 21 and in print October 19 in The Journal of Experimental Medicine.

19 Oct 2015

Researchers introduce free iOS app to learn about autism in young children

A team of researchers and software developers from Duke University and the Duke Medical Center has introduced a free iOS app to learn more about autism in young children living around the world.

16 Oct 2015

Brain areas linked to social behaviors underdeveloped in youths with high functioning ASD

A team of UCLA scientists has found that brain areas linked to social behaviors are both underdeveloped and insufficiently networked in youths with high functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to study participants without ASD.

14 Oct 2015

ASF launches Autism Sisters Project to accelerate research into 'Female Protective Effect'

The Autism Science Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting and funding autism research, today announced the launch of the Autism Sisters Project, a new initiative that will give unaffected sisters of individuals with autism the opportunity to take an active role in accelerating research into the "Female Protective Effect."

14 Oct 2015

Study: Learning complex auditory categories through procedural learning is impaired in dyslexia

The cognitive skills used to learn how to ride a bike may be the key to a more accurate understanding of developmental dyslexia. And, they may lead to improved interventions.

9 Oct 2015

Brain & Behavior Research Foundation to honor nine scientists with Outstanding Achievement Prizes

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation will honor nine scientists with its 2015 Outstanding Achievement Prizes for their work in schizophrenia, mood disorders, child and adolescent psychiatry, and cognitive neuroscience.

9 Oct 2015

Controlling TH-containing neurons can manipulate maternal behavior of females and aggression of males

Most female mammals give birth and care for their offspring, while the males often breed with multiple partners and play little role in parenting once the mating is over. Yet researchers have had a hard time pinpointing where, exactly, in the brain these differences between the sexes are located and how they translate into behavior. The extent of "hardwired parental behavior" is hotly disputed.

8 Oct 2015

Study could provide new insight in understanding role of ACC in disorders of social behaviour, empathy

The way our brain responds to others' good fortune is linked to how empathetic people report themselves to be, according to new UCL-led research.

8 Oct 2015

MPFI scientist receives NIH's Pioneer Award

Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience Scientific Director, Ryohei Yasuda, has received the National Institute of Health's Pioneer Award, which recognizes scientists who have demonstrated creativity and groundbreaking approaches in biomedical or behavioral science.

7 Oct 2015

Researchers use brain scans to reveal mechanisms behind cognitive control of thoughts

How does the brain determine which direction to let its thoughts fly? Looking for the mechanisms behind cognitive control of thought, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, University of California and United States Army Research Laboratory have used brain scans to shed new light on this question.

7 Oct 2015

Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Learning detailed navigation information causes hippocampal brain changes

Oxytocin treatment improves social, emotional and behavioral problems among young kids with autism

Love hormone may enhance pleasure of social interactions, UCI study finds

Expectant mothers need to avoid certain cosmetics, cleaning agents and medicines during first trimester

3-D model of animal brain provides more complete picture of brain's connectivity

Thalamic reticular nucleus responsible for the brain's ability to multitask, study reveals

Scientists map out the brain circuitry critical for filtering out distractions

Study shows how synapses organization is controlled

New genetic discovery could lead to better treatment for X-linked diseases

Premature babies face increased risk of mental illness due to weakened connections in brain networks

BET protein family plays key role in regulation of normal neuronal development and function

Researchers introduce free iOS app to learn about autism in young children

Brain areas linked to social behaviors underdeveloped in youths with high functioning ASD

ASF launches Autism Sisters Project to accelerate research into 'Female Protective Effect'

Study: Learning complex auditory categories through procedural learning is impaired in dyslexia

Brain & Behavior Research Foundation to honor nine scientists with Outstanding Achievement Prizes

Controlling TH-containing neurons can manipulate maternal behavior of females and aggression of males

Study could provide new insight in understanding role of ACC in disorders of social behaviour, empathy

MPFI scientist receives NIH's Pioneer Award

Researchers use brain scans to reveal mechanisms behind cognitive control of thoughts

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Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

CellVoyant's AI-Powered Vision for the Future of Cell Therapy

Scalable, Smart, and Accessible: The Future of Lab Automation

Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures: A Conversation with WHO’s Dr. Allotey

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