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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Author

Angie Voyles Askham

Senior reporter

Angie Voyles Askham is Senior Reporter for Spectrum, where she covers neural circuits and gene therapy, among other topics. She proposed and writes Spectrum Launch, a monthly newsletter for early-career researchers. Before joining Spectrum in 2020, she worked in radio journalism and academic publishing. Voyles Askham has a Ph.D. in neuroscience from NYU and a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Vanderbilt University. You can email her at [email protected] or find her on Twitter @avaskham.

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March 2021
Operating room scene shows baby being guided out of belly of mother during a c-section.

Cesarean delivery unlikely to sway child’s likelihood of autism

by  /  17 March 2021

Autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions are more common among children born by C-section than those delivered vaginally, but the procedure itself does not underlie the association, according to a new study.

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Mother and child with doctor and computer.

Tweaking clinic protocols improves autism screening rates

by  /  12 March 2021

Automated electronic notifications can help clinics screen more children for autism, according to a new study.

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Broken protein bridge linked to Rett syndrome traits

by  /  1 March 2021

Altering a protein linked to Rett syndrome so that it cannot bind to a methylation tag in neurons results in Rett-like traits in mice.

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February 2021
Oil and water with colors behind: blue, green, yellow and red.

How microscopic ‘condensates’ in cells might contribute to autism

by  /  23 February 2021

A controversial idea about how cells compartmentalize their contents into droplets — like beads of oil in water — could be key to understanding autism, says Julie Forman-Kay.

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Oligodendrocyte gene grouping showing network of blue lines connecting the gene names on reddish bubbles.

Differing gene functions across species may pose problems for autism models

by  /  22 February 2021

Misaligned gene expression maps suggest that some autism-linked genes play distinct roles in mouse and human brains.

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Man reaches into cabinet while a woman looks on

Single neurons may power key ‘theory of mind’ skills

by  /  8 February 2021

A subset of brain cells signal when someone tries to infer another person’s thoughts, according to a new study.

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Heatmap plot showing how each genetic variant plus autism group differed.

Copy number variations linked to autism have diverse but overlapping effects

by  /  1 February 2021

People with mutations in distant chromosomal regions often share a range of autism traits, even if they do not meet the diagnostic threshold for autism.

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January 2021
Molecular model of histone protein which wraps up DNA strands.

New condition hints at structural protein’s role in autism

by  /  22 January 2021

Mutations in genes that encode a histone, which gives structure to chromosomes, can lead to developmental delay and congenital anomalies.

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How polygenic scores can improve predictions about autism, schizophrenia

by  /  19 January 2021

Jacob Vorstman wants to help people who have rare mutations tied to autism, schizophrenia and other neurodevelopmental conditions set expectations about outcomes.

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Illustration of firing neurons.

Autism protein may shape neuronal firing patterns

by  /  14 January 2021

Cells with excess UBE3A, an autism-linked protein, have atypical firing properties that can be corrected by limiting the protein’s levels, according to new research.

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