Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

New study: Immune molecules can regulate synaptic connections in brain

The number of connections between nerve cells in the brain can be regulated by an immune system molecule, according to a new study from UC Davis. The research, published Feb. 27 in the journal Nature Neuroscience, reveals a potential link between immunity, infectious disease and conditions such as schizophrenia or autism.

27 Feb 2011

Vaccine lawsuit rejected by Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday against the parents of Hannah Bruesewitz, 18, who suffered seizures and permanent brain damage after receiving a diptheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine in 1993. The Bruesewitz family had sued Wyeth who was then the parent company of the maker of the DTP vaccine that Hannah received as an infant.

27 Feb 2011

Role of serotonin in autism spectrum disorders

Mouse models are yielding important clues about the nature of autism spectrum disorders, which impact an estimated one in 110 children in the U.S. In labs at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, researchers are studying strains of mice that inherently mimic the repetitive and socially impaired behaviors present in these disorders.

25 Feb 2011

Brain reward center responds to good and bad experiences

The so-called reward center of the brain may need a new name, say scientists who have shown it responds to good and bad experiences. The finding, published in PLoS One, may help explain the "thrill" of thrill-seeking behavior or maybe just the thrill of surviving it, according to scientists at Georgia Health Sciences University and East China Normal University.

23 Feb 2011

CVS condemns Supreme Court's decision to preempt all vaccine design defect lawsuits

The Coalition for Vaccine Safety condemns the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in Bruesewitz v. Wyeth to preempt all vaccine design defect lawsuits in state and federal civil court. Quoting Justice Sotomayor's dissent, the majority "imposes its own bare policy preference over the considered judgment of Congress."

23 Feb 2011

Nationwide Children's Hospital joins Autism Speaks ATN to offer patient care

Nationwide Children's Hospital has been selected to join the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network, connecting Columbus with Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Missouri as the nation's only ATN institutions in the Midwest region.

23 Feb 2011

Autism could be detected earlier and easier: Study

Scientists at Boston may have found the beginnings of a non-invasive diagnostic test that can detect abnormal brain waves that suggest increased risk for autism – a debilitating neurological disorder in babies. This test would be safe, inexpensive, and easy to perform and could make it possible for at-risk kids to get help right away rather than having to wait until months or years later, which is now the case with the behavioral tests believe experts.

22 Feb 2011

Noninvasive test to evaluate risk of ASD in infants

A computational physicist and a cognitive neuroscientist at Children's Hospital Boston have come up with the beginnings of a noninvasive test to evaluate an infant's autism risk.

22 Feb 2011

Scientists discover axons can send signals to cell body

Neurons are complicated, but the basic functional concept is that synapses transmit electrical signals to the dendrites and cell body, and axons carry signals away.

18 Feb 2011

Researchers receive two grants to create diagnostic tool for early detection of childhood mental disorders

A University of Minnesota research team was recently awarded two grants totaling more than $3 million from the National Science Foundation's Cyber-Enabled Discovery and MRI Programs to create robotic devices and computer vision algorithms that will assist with the early diagnosis of children at risk of developing disorders such as autism, attention deficit disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder.

17 Feb 2011

New study: Latino siblings of children with disability may face risk of negative outcomes

Latino siblings of children developmental disabilities such as Down syndrome and autism may face their own challenges, including anxiety and lower school performance, according to a new study led by researchers with the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center.

17 Feb 2011

Molecular explanation to higher tendency for autism among males

George Washington University researcher, Dr. Valerie Hu, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and her team at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, have found that male and female sex hormones regulate expression of an important gene in neuronal cell culture through a mechanism that could explain not only higher levels of testosterone observed in some individuals with autism, but also why males have a higher incidence of autism than females.

17 Feb 2011

Rare heart defect reproduced in petri dish, hope for cure

U.S. researchers have created beating heart cells in the lab with the same heart defect using skin cells taken from children with a rare heart defect. This means they can now test new drugs in human cells instead of mice.

13 Feb 2011

Virtual desktop technology integrated into autism programs

“We were fortunate to have the team at Touchstone's Family-Centered Autism Program evaluate Andrew, identify where he was on the autism spectrum, and reach him by building trust and providing a safe place to learn social skills.”

11 Feb 2011

Study unveils surprising mechanism that controls brain formation

A study from The Scripps Research Institute has unveiled a surprising mechanism that controls brain formation. The findings have implications for understanding a host of diseases, including some forms of mental retardation, epilepsy, schizophrenia, and autism.

10 Feb 2011

Scientists generate beating heart cells from skin cells of young patients with severe genetic heart defect

Using skin cells from young patients who have a severe genetic heart defect, Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have generated beating heart cells that carry the same genetic mutation. The newly created human heart cells - cardiomyocytes - allowed the researchers for the first time to examine and characterize the disorder at the cellular level.

10 Feb 2011

Johns Hopkins funds 12 research groups to launch new BSi program on cognitive disorders

The Johns Hopkins Brain Sciences Institute has funded a total of $5 million to 12 different research groups at Hopkins to launch the new Synapses, Circuits and Cognitive Disorders Program. The new BSi program aims to understand the fundamentals of brain function by focusing on the synapse — the point of contact between two nerve cells — to better understand cognitive disorders.

9 Feb 2011

New study: Testosterone administration leads to significant reduction in mind reading

A new study from Utrecht and Cambridge Universities has for the first time found that an administration of testosterone under the tongue in volunteers negatively affects a person's ability to 'mind read', an indication of empathy. The findings are published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

9 Feb 2011

No effort for ensuring continuity of supports and services as ASD children age into adulthood: Study

What happens to young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) once they graduate high school and are no longer entitled to services?

9 Feb 2011

Service disengagement rates are high in youths with autism spectrum disorder after high school

Use of medical, mental health and case management services for young adults with an autism spectrum disorder appears to decline after high school, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

8 Feb 2011

Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

New study: Immune molecules can regulate synaptic connections in brain

Vaccine lawsuit rejected by Supreme Court

Role of serotonin in autism spectrum disorders

Brain reward center responds to good and bad experiences

CVS condemns Supreme Court's decision to preempt all vaccine design defect lawsuits

Nationwide Children's Hospital joins Autism Speaks ATN to offer patient care

Autism could be detected earlier and easier: Study

Noninvasive test to evaluate risk of ASD in infants

Scientists discover axons can send signals to cell body

Researchers receive two grants to create diagnostic tool for early detection of childhood mental disorders

New study: Latino siblings of children with disability may face risk of negative outcomes

Molecular explanation to higher tendency for autism among males

Rare heart defect reproduced in petri dish, hope for cure

Virtual desktop technology integrated into autism programs

Study unveils surprising mechanism that controls brain formation

Scientists generate beating heart cells from skin cells of young patients with severe genetic heart defect

Johns Hopkins funds 12 research groups to launch new BSi program on cognitive disorders

New study: Testosterone administration leads to significant reduction in mind reading

No effort for ensuring continuity of supports and services as ASD children age into adulthood: Study

Service disengagement rates are high in youths with autism spectrum disorder after high school

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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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