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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Author

Brianna Abbott

Contributing writer, Spectrum

Brianna Abbott is a contributing writer at Spectrum. She is a science journalist based in New York City, covering neuroscience, health and the environment, and is a graduate of the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program at New York University. She has a B.A. in chemistry and a B.A. in creative writing from Providence College in Rhode Island.

 

February 2019
head mold shown in two pieces

Stabilizing head mold leads to sharper brain images

by  /  15 February 2019

A customizable Styrofoam mold minimizes head movements during brain scans, enabling researchers to produce clearer images.

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December 2018
Zebrafish

Technique maps center of balance in zebrafish brains

by  /  14 December 2018

A new method enables researchers to plot activity in the zebrafish brain’s system for spatial orientation and balance.

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November 2018
Large group of different lab mice: white mice, black and white mice and light brown mice, all in a cage on wood chips.

Database compares protein function across dozens of mouse strains

by  /  23 November 2018

A new resource details the protein-coding portions of the genomes of 36 popular mouse strains.

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October 2018
Recordings from the mouse visual cortex flash pink and orange.

New tool provides real-time glimpse of brain activity in mice

by  /  26 October 2018

A transparent set of electrodes enables researchers to simultaneously record electrical signals and visualize neurons in the brains of awake mice.

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September 2018
Mouse brain photograph shows the area of drug delivery highlighted in red.

Brain implant mutes seizure-like activity in mice

by  /  28 September 2018

A new brain implant pumps chemical signals directly into a target region to ease seizure-like activity in mice.

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August 2018

Two new sensors track chemical signals in brains of living animals

by  /  24 August 2018

Novel sensors enable researchers to monitor the activity of two signaling chemicals in the brains of living fruit flies and mice.

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June 2018

New technique scales up ability to find DNA tags in genomes

by  /  8 June 2018

A new method helps researchers map the patterns of chemical tags in large batches of cells.

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Baby chick on white background.

Chick model of epilepsy-drug exposure may mimic signs of autism

by  /  1 June 2018

Exposing fertilized chicken eggs to valproic acid, an epilepsy drug, yields chicks with apparent social deficits.

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May 2018
a group of elementary school age kids in a huddle, talking.

Use of certain social strategies linked to anxiety in autism

by  /  23 May 2018

Children with autism often have problems understanding others’ thoughts; those who use mental strategies to compensate for these problems may be unusually anxious.

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Visualization of networks of individual neurons in the brain.

New map reveals web of connections from single neurons

by  /  18 May 2018

A new map reveals the routes of individual neurons in visual regions of the mouse brain.

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