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Spectrum: Autism Research News

News Archive

June 2022
Two young children play with a tablet computer underneath a blanket fort

Brain’s early visual areas reflect autism’s heritability

by  /  16 June 2022

Inherited genetic factors for autism influence brain development, new studies of autistic children and their younger siblings reveal.

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A grid of four figures. The top left and bottom left figures are duplicates, with the bottom inverted by 180 degrees

Data irregularities surface for study of microRNAs in autism

by  /  15 June 2022

The study, which investigated a microRNA’s links to autism, appears to contain duplicated and fabricated data, according to research integrity analysts. Those issues reflect a larger problem in the literature.

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Gene therapy targets interneurons to tackle Dravet syndrome

by  /  13 June 2022

The approach, tested in mice, selectively boosts the expression of the autism-linked gene SCN1A in a subgroup of inhibitory cells.

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Speech bubble formed by a network of communication

Community Newsletter: Open-data fails, decoding GABA reuptake, peer reviewer duels

by  /  12 June 2022

We’re tracking tweets that highlight, among other things, the futility of ‘data availability statements’ and some possible fixes, plus visions of a peer reviewer dust-up.

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Different forms of autism have opposite problems with brain precursor cells

by  /  10 June 2022

The cells’ altered proliferation rates hint at ways to diagnose and potentially treat autism earlier.

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Two top autism-linked proteins connect to build cell ‘skeleton’

by  /  9 June 2022

ADNP and SHANK3 proteins may bind together and alter a neuron’s internal scaffold, hinting at a mechanism that, when disrupted, may underlie several forms of autism.

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Illustration of hybrid objects: part light bulb, part lab vial, some in blue and some in red to signify null and replicated results.

Null and Noteworthy: INSAR keynote, typical cerebellums, social subdomains

by  /  9 June 2022

In this edition, researchers sink a purported link between cerebellar volume and autism and buoy a theory about measuring social behaviors.

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a grid of 9 brain maps showing activity in different areas of the brain

Brain networks diverge in autism by toddlerhood

by  /  8 June 2022

By as early as age 2, autistic children appear to have a smaller salience network and a larger default mode network, among other differences, than children without the condition.

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black-and-white image of a burst of neuron activity, indicated by the neurons flashing brightly and simultaneously

Autism-linked mutation alters neuronal network activity

by  /  7 June 2022

Neurons with a faulty copy of SETD1A, a gene tied to autism and schizophrenia, show structural abnormalities and altered connectivity patterns.

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Many mouths making conversation, with speech bubbles in red and blue.

Community Newsletter: Kavli Prize puts spotlight on autism science, plus a genetics PSA

by  /  5 June 2022

On Twitter this week, many researchers toasted the geneticists who won the 2022 Kavli Prize in neuroscience, and others offered helpful reminders for the field.

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