Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Study identifies brain circuitry that plays key role in ASD-relevant behaviors

A team led by UT Southwestern researchers has identified brain circuitry that plays a key role in the dysfunctional social, repetitive, and inflexible behavioral differences that characterize autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

15 Jul 2020

Study reveals how two key neural circuits control social preference

Some individuals love meeting new people, while others abhor the idea. For individuals with conditions such as autism, unfamiliar social interactions can produce negative emotions such as fear and anxiety. A new study from Scripps Research reveals how two key neural circuits dictate the choice between social approach and avoidance.

14 Jul 2020

Face blindness may arise from deficits beyond visual perception

The ability to recognize faces is a complex neurocognitive skill with important social implications. The disorder, which, according to some estimates, affects more than 2 percent of the population, can lead to isolation and anxiety and impair personal and work relationships.

12 Jul 2020

Newly discovered chemical compound shows potential to become treatment for brain disorders

Researchers at IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology) discovered a novel chemical compound, which has the potential to became a new drug for the treatment of core symptoms of brain disorders like Down syndrome and autism.

11 Jul 2020

Scientists identify a new role for covalent linker in transmembrane ion channels

In the molecular-level world of ion channels - passageways through membranes that carry signals in a cell's environment and allow it to respond - researchers have debated about the role of a small piece of the channel called a linker, says computational biophysicist Jianhan Chen at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

10 Jul 2020

CU researchers discover key role of specific brain cells during development

Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have identified how specific brain cells interacting during development could be related to neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases, including some that occur later in life.

9 Jul 2020

Researchers propose new way to understand sensory integration in autistic children

Researchers at McMaster University who study how the brain processes sound have discovered the common practice of using artificial tones in perception experiments could mean scientists are overlooking important and interesting discoveries in the field of brain research.

8 Jul 2020

Neuronal subtypes that drive locomotion in fruit fly reveal an unexpected diversity

A new study by MIT neuroscientists into how seemingly similar neuronal subtypes drive locomotion in the fruit fly revealed an unexpected diversity as the brain's commands were relayed to muscle fibers.

8 Jul 2020

Research shows probiotics can help combat anxiety and depression

Previous research has tied mental health issues and developmental disorders to gut health. Now, a team of British scientists has shown that foods that broaden the profile of helpful bacteria in the gut, which are collectively known as probiotics, can help ease anxiety and depression.

7 Jul 2020

Identification of shared and distinct brain structural signatures in psychiatric disorders

Researchers have previously identified brain structural signatures associated with individual neurological diseases using techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

7 Jul 2020

Clemson researcher receives DOD grant to explore cellular underpinnings of developmental disorder

College of Science associate professor and researcher David Feliciano has received a $667,000 grant from the Department of Defense to explore the cellular underpinnings of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC), a developmental disorder characterized by the growth of benign tumors throughout the body, most notably in the brain.

6 Jul 2020

IU team develops statewide early ASD screening and evaluation system

A 2020 report from the Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1 in 54 children in the United States is identified each year with autism spectrum disorder.

6 Jul 2020

Research reveals new genetic insights into how the brain folds

New research is helping unlock the mystery of how the brain folds as a baby develops in the womb - a process critical to healthy brain function.

1 Jul 2020

A data-rich atlas of the developing human brain

For the nascent brain of a human embryo to develop into the complex organ that controls human consciousness, a finely tuned sequence of genetic events has to take place; hundreds of genes are activated and deactivated in a precise symphony.

30 Jun 2020

Glitches in DNA replication have important implications for treating cancer

USC researchers peering deep inside a living cell have discovered something surprising: Its system for preventing genetic damage linked to diseases can fail so badly that the cell would be better off without it.

30 Jun 2020

Cell signaling pathway may offer new drugs for tuberous sclerosis complex

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a neurological disorder causing non-cancerous tumors, called cortical tubers, to grow throughout the brain and body, as well as other conditions like epilepsy and autism.

24 Jun 2020

Researchers develop a shorter IQ test for children with special needs

For decades, neuropsychologists have used the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children test as the gold-standard intelligence quotient test to determine the intellectual abilities of children with special needs.

24 Jun 2020

Cannabidiol may reduce behavioral problems in children with intellectual disabilities

Cannabidiol, a type of medicinal cannabis, may reduce severe behavioral problems in children and adolescents with an intellectual disability a new study has found.

24 Jun 2020

Mice study shows how oxytocin can amplify aggression as well as friendliness

During the pandemic lockdown, as couples have been forced to spend days and weeks in one another's company, some have found their love renewed while others are on their way to divorce court.

22 Jun 2020

A metabolomics approach to detect objective biomarkers of ASD

In a paper published online this week in Autism Research, scientists at NeuroPointDX, a division of Stemina Biomarker Discovery, Inc., in collaboration with researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute and academic and clinical institutions across the country, report new findings from the Children's Autism Metabolome Project or CAMP.

18 Jun 2020