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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Author

Peter Hess

Former News Writer

Peter Hess was a reporter for Spectrum from 2019 to 2023, where he covered cannabinoids, autism prevalence, social hormones and other topics. Before joining Spectrum in 2019, he was associate science editor at Inverse, where he wrote and edited stories for a broad audience on a wide range of scientific topics, including drugs, evolution and environmental science. His work has also appeared in The Washington PostNew ScientistPopular Science and Motherboard. Peter has an M.A. in science journalism from New York University’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. Find him on Twitter at @PeterNHess.

March 2022

Neural network finds markers of autism, gender in brain scans

by  /  24 March 2022

Deep-learning algorithms can cut through some of the noise in brain imaging data collected across different sites.

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DSM-5 revision tweaks autism entry for clarity

by  /  17 March 2022

Two new words and a text swap in the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic “bible” are unlikely to affect clinical practice, experts say.

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New autism clinicians reflect on skill gaps, gains after remote training

by  /  15 March 2022

The pandemic has forced many health-care students to train online, raising concerns about their readiness.

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February 2022

Top autism candidate gene tied to newly identified syndrome

by  /  17 February 2022

Mutations in the autism-linked gene PAX5 underlie a range of traits, including developmental delay, intellectual disability, seizures and autism.

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Real-world data on Rett syndrome: Q&A with Jana von Hehn

by  /  8 February 2022

The Rett Syndrome Global Registry is gathering data from people around the world with the rare condition to support clinical trials.

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Enrichment lessens Angelman-like traits in male mice

by  /  2 February 2022

Model animals don’t develop the usual behavioral and motor problems when reared in an enclosure containing exercise wheels, toys and treats.

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January 2022

Growth factor analogue shows promise for Rett syndrome in late-stage trial

by  /  25 January 2022

Girls and young women with Rett syndrome have less severe anxiety and breathing problems after treatment with trofinetide, an analogue of insulin-like growth factor 1, according to an unpublished placebo-controlled trial.

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Adult autism diagnoses don’t routinely follow other diagnoses in childhood

by  /  11 January 2022

Among thousands of Danish adults diagnosed with autism after age 18, less than half were diagnosed with a psychiatric condition as children, a new study shows.

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The connection between oxytocin and autism, explained

by  /  6 January 2022

Oxytocin, cemented in the popular imagination as the “love molecule,” could serve as a treatment for some autistic people who naturally have low levels of the hormone, researchers say.

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Visual stimulus of 4 circles with black and white stripes.

Visual task flags autistic people who respond to GABA agonists

by  /  5 January 2022

The investigational drug arbaclofen makes autistic people’s brains respond to a visual task more like non-autistic people’s brains do.

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