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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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November 2020
Brain diagrams showing connectivity within different regions.

Gene mutations point to overlaps in brain connectivity for autism, schizophrenia

by  /  30 November 2020

People who have large mutations associated with autism and schizophrenia share atypical patterns of brain connectivity, according to a new study, especially between areas that process sensory information.

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Researcher-provided images show experiment that tracks gaze.

Autistic people do not shift attention based on social cues

by  /  16 November 2020

A new eye-tracking study highlights how social cues shape attention differently in people with and without autism.

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Micrograph of nerve cells being targeted by CRISPR enzyme to activate the silenced gene in Angelman syndrome

Prenatal CRISPR therapy blocks Angelman syndrome traits in mice

by  /  9 November 2020

A gene-editing treatment shows long-lasting effects in a mouse model of Angelman syndrome, a genetic condition related to autism.

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October 2020
four images show pattern of eye movement

Social attention shifts differently over time for autistic adults

by  /  23 October 2020

Neurotypical adults change how they view social scenes over time in a way that autistic adults do not, reflecting different underlying mechanisms of social attention.

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four brain areas marked with flags: Cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, cerebellum

Brain structure changes in autism, explained

by  /  15 October 2020

Autistic people have distinct patterns of brain development, which sometimes result in differences in brain structure. Here’s what we know about those differences.

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Toddler vocalizing with parent.

Social motivation predicts language skills in autistic children

by  /  8 October 2020

The more children with autism tune in to and communicate with others as toddlers, the stronger their conversation skills are later in childhood.

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Brain hemispheres color-coded.

Autism shares brain structure changes with other psychiatric conditions

by  /  1 October 2020

Atypical development of a particular type of neuron explains the structural similarities seen in the brains of people with autism, schizophrenia and other conditions, according to a new study.

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September 2020
White lab mouse sitting in a gloved hand.

Silencing ‘poison exon’ eliminates deadly seizures in mice

by  /  24 September 2020

A new treatment curbs deadly seizures in a mouse model of Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy.

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Micrograph of a mitochondria.

Fragile X syndrome traits may stem from leaky mitochondria

by  /  11 September 2020

Plugging a leaky mitochondrial membrane may help fragile X neurons to mature and function more efficiently.

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August 2020
Series of micrographs showing neurons with Rett syndrome mutations lacking liquid compartments around DNA.

DNA droplets may be key to Rett syndrome, researchers say

by  /  27 August 2020

Mutations in the MECP2 gene, which are associated with autism and Rett syndrome, interfere with a cell’s ability to form droplets of DNA that silence gene expression.

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