Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Problem behaviors may provide clues on gastrointestinal issues in children with autism

For years, researchers have documented both gastrointestinal issues and problematic behaviors, such as aggression, in many children with autism spectrum disorder.

28 Jun 2019

Uncovering how tics are suppressed may provide insight to help people at risk for tic disorders

At least 20 percent of elementary school-age children develop tics such as excessive blinking, throat clearing or sniffing, but for most of those kids, the tics don't become a long-term problem.

27 Jun 2019

Social robots can lead to more positive emotions in sick children, study shows

A new study demonstrates, for the first time, that "social robots" used in support sessions held in pediatric units at hospitals can lead to more positive emotions in sick children.

26 Jun 2019

New study may explain distinct speech processing functions of left and right brain

In the 1860s, French physician Paul Broca published his findings that the brain's speech production center was located in the left hemisphere

25 Jun 2019

Immature mood neurons develop during adolescence

Researchers have discovered a mysterious group of neurons in the amygdala -- a key center for emotional processing in the brain -- that stay in an immature, prenatal developmental state throughout childhood.

24 Jun 2019

Study proves that brains of pairs of animals synchronize during social situations

UCLA researchers have published a Cell study showing that the brains of pairs of animals synchronize during social situations.

24 Jun 2019

Study offers new clues to autism's underlying biology

Over the past decade, autism spectrum disorder has been linked to mutations in a variety of genes, explaining up to 30 percent of all cases to date.

21 Jun 2019

New swine model helps scientists to better understand human brain

For the first time, researchers in the University of Georgia's Regenerative Bioscience Center have used an imaging method normally reserved for humans to analyze brain activity in live agricultural swine models, and they have discovered that pig brains are even better platforms than previously thought for the study of human neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

21 Jun 2019

High levels of acid in processed foods could affect fetus' developing brain

With the number of children diagnosed with autism on the rise, the need to find what causes the disorder becomes more urgent every day. UCF researchers are now a step closer to showing the link between the food pregnant women consume and the effects on a fetus' developing brain.

20 Jun 2019

Eyes hold clues to effective treatment of severe autism, study shows

Vocabulary tests for individuals with the severest forms of autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, are notoriously inaccurate. They commonly ask the test-taker to point to an illustration after hearing a spoken word, measuring the ability to understand and perform a task as much as word knowledge.

20 Jun 2019

Neuroscientists find anatomical link between cognitive and perceptual symptoms in autism

Neuroscientists at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science and University College London have found an anatomical link between cognitive and perceptual symptoms in autism.

20 Jun 2019

Scientists make breakthrough in understanding the genetics of common syndromic autism

Australian and Chilean scientists have made a breakthrough in their understanding of the genetics of a common form of syndromic autism – and they hope their work could one day lead to the development of treatments for the condition.

19 Jun 2019

Gene associated with increased risk of cannabis abuse

New research from the Danish psychiatric project, iPSYCH, shows that a specific gene is associated with an increased risk of cannabis abuse. The gene is the source of a so-called nicotine receptor in the brain, and people with low amounts of this receptor have an increased risk of cannabis abuse.

18 Jun 2019

Parents of autistic adolescents are a critical partner in preparation for learning-to-drive process

Autistic adolescents need the support of their parents or guardians to prioritize independence so that they are prepared for learning to drive, according to a study of specialized driving instructors who have worked specifically with young autistic drivers.

18 Jun 2019

Gut microbiota linked with temperament traits in young children

Scientists in the FinnBrain research project of the University of Turku discovered that the gut microbes of a 2.5-month-old infant are associated with the temperament traits manifested at six months of age.

18 Jun 2019

Study: Early screening of autism may not be as beneficial as previously thought

Screening for autism at three years of age only identifies those with significant developmental delay, and not those with less severe autism. Early screening may therefore not be as beneficial as previously thought, according to data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study.

17 Jun 2019