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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Author

Ann Griswold

Science writer

Ann Griswold is a San Francisco-based freelance science writer specializing in biotechnology and health. Her work has appeared in publications including Scientific American, Slate and The Atlantic. She was a staff news writer for Spectrum from 2015 to 2017, and continues to contribute news and Deep Dive articles.

Ann has a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of Florida and an M.S. in science journalism from the Johns Hopkins University.

August 2016

Maps reveal genetic landscape of developing monkey brain

by  /  12 August 2016

Researchers have charted gene expression in the brains of rhesus macaques from before birth into adulthood.

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Common brain signature marks autism, attention deficit

by  /  8 August 2016

Children with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder all show similar disruptions in brain structure.

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Software supplies snapshot of gene expression across brain

by  /  5 August 2016

A new tool provides speedy analysis of gene expression in individual neurons from postmortem brain tissue.

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July 2016

Protein duo can tweak signaling balance among neurons

by  /  29 July 2016

A fusion of two proteins can silence the activity of specific neurons in the zebrafish spinal cord.

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For children with autism, multiple languages may be a boon

by  /  25 July 2016

Most children who learn more than one language gain valuable skills, and researchers say this may also be true for children with autism.

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Epilepsy in family members raises risk of autism

by  /  21 July 2016

A study of more than 85,000 people with epilepsy and their immediate relatives suggests that epilepsy and autism share biological roots.

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Autism gene wires social reward circuits in mouse brains

by  /  14 July 2016

Mice with mutations in SHANK3, a leading autism candidate, may lack the neural wiring that would compel them to seek social contact.

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Single microbe may restore social behaviors in mice

by  /  7 July 2016

A single species of bacteria reverses autism-like features in mice exposed to a high-fat diet in utero — but researchers question the findings’ relevance to people.

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Many women, men with autism harm themselves

by  /  1 July 2016

Adults with autism, particularly women, deliberately hurt themselves much more often than other adults do.

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June 2016

Aberrant gene doses disrupt ‘optimal’ brain architecture

by  /  27 June 2016

Too few or too many copies of a genetic region linked to autism produce similar effects on intelligence and social skills but opposite effects on brain structure.

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