Spectrum: Autism Research News

Model fish seem to spend more time swimming solo than wildtype zebrafish do, and neurochemicals in their brains respond differently to social interactions.

Environmental factors influence brain structure in autistic children more than in non-autistic children, according to an analysis of imaging data from twins.

A set of neurons connecting the prefrontal cortex and the thalamus helps regulate social interactions in mice.

Researchers have devised a new way of seeing how gene mutations affect cells during development.

Several regions in the outer layer of the brain are thicker in children and young adults with autism than in their typical peers.

Autism researchers who use brain scans may not be accounting for the head motion caused by study participants’ breathing.

The long fibers of neurons in the brains of young children with autism are structured differently from those of their neurotypical peers — and from those of older children with the condition.

Neurons in mice that lack an autism gene called CNTNAP2 do not differentiate well between social and nonsocial smells — an issue that seems to stem from haphazard neuronal firing.

How well autistic children perform daily-living tasks tracks with their language skills and autism traits.

A new technique uses ultrasound instead of light to detect gene expression in cells.