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Society for Neuroscience 2012

October 2012
SFN 2012

Autism mouse models show glitch in motor learning

by  /  16 October 2012

Two well-known mouse models of autism show abnormal reactions to an eye-blinking test that relies on the cerebellum, a brain region that helps integrate sensory information and plan movements. The unpublished results were presented in a poster Monday at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

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SFN 2012

Feral monkeys may help find genes for fragile X traits

by  /  16 October 2012

A research colony of feral monkeys may help scientists study how genetics contributes to complex social behaviors in fragile X syndrome, according to unpublished research presented Monday at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

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SFN 2012

Autism-linked gene influences brain volume

by  /  16 October 2012

People with a certain variant in RBFOX1, a gene linked to autism risk, have a smaller temporal lobe than those with other variants, according to research presented Monday at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

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SFN 2012

Songbirds, people share language-linked gene expression

by  /  16 October 2012

Some song-related areas in the zebra finch brain and language areas in the human brain show strikingly similar patterns of gene expression, according to unpublished research presented Sunday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

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SFN 2012

Researchers look for overlap in expression of autism genes

by  /  16 October 2012

An analysis of the expression patterns of 26 autism candidate genes identifies 4 whose expression coincides in a part of the cerebellum, according to research presented at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

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SFN 2012

Video: Sharing data invigorates brain-imaging research

by  /  16 October 2012

One of the challenges for brain imaging is generating data from enough people to draw conclusions about the subtle features of a disorder. In a video interview at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting, Randy Buckner shared images made by combining the brain activity of 1,000 individuals.

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SFN 2012

Acetylcholine drug alleviates autism-like behaviors in mice

by  /  16 October 2012

A drug that mimics the neurotransmitter acetylcholine relieves repetitive behaviors in a mouse model of autism, according to a poster presented Monday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

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SFN 2012

Children with autism get lost in time, imaging study says

by  /  15 October 2012

Children with autism recruit different brain regions than controls do when estimating how much time has gone by, according to unpublished research presented Monday at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

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A white mouse against a blue background.
SFN 2012

Catalog of mice cries aids quest to find their meaning

by  /  15 October 2012

One research team is cataloging the vocalizations of 1,000 different mice, and a second group is creating a tool that will allow researchers to distinguish calls made by several mice as they interact, according to two posters presented Sunday at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

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SFN 2012

Mice with autism-linked deletion show unexpected deficits

by  /  15 October 2012

Mice lacking one copy of the autism-linked 16p11.2 chromosomal region are thin, deaf and show repetitive behaviors. They also have altered proportions of neurons in their brains, particularly those that express the chemical messenger dopamine. The unpublished results were presented Sunday at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

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