Spectrum: Autism Research News

Adults with autism fare better now than they did in the 1960s, when scientists first began tracking outcomes, reports a perspective published in February’s World Psychiatry.

Researchers have uncovered a new role for the protein missing in fragile X syndrome — it regulates the release of neurotransmitters, chemical messengers in the brain, according to a mouse study published 20 February in Neuron.

Riding horses may help children with autism learn to trust others, says a study published 1 February in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Men with autism drive as well as controls do, but they focus less on the road ahead, according to research published 22 January in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Women who have high levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, early in their pregnancies are at increased risk of having children with autism, reports a study published 22 January in Molecular Psychiatry.

People with autism who inhaled regular doses of the hormone oxytocin were better at recognizing others’ emotions and reported a higher quality of life than those who took a placebo, according to a small study published 5 December in Molecular Autism.

Children with autism and their unaffected twins have heads that are significantly larger than average, according to a study published 16 January in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Children with attention difficulties may later show signs of autism, such as trouble holding a conversation, according to a study published 14 November in Psychological Medicine.

Resource-poor countries need better safeguards for doing ethical studies, says a new study published 3 January in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.