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Spectrum: Autism Research News

News Archive

June 2022
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Spectrum of variants contribute differently to autism traits

by  /  3 June 2022

Different combinations of common, rare, inherited and spontaneous mutations may explain why traits vary so widely among autistic people.

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Organoids test gene therapies for Pitt-Hopkins syndrome

by  /  2 June 2022

Strategies to replace or compensate for mutated copies of the TCF4 gene could lead to treatments for this profound form of autism, a new study suggests.

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Illustration shows a road going into the distance, seen from the driver's point of view.

Spectrum Launch: Meet the duo behind INSAR’s ECR networking

by  /  2 June 2022

The chair and co-chair of the Student and Trainee Committee for the International Society for Autism Research share their advice for early-career researchers.

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May 2022
An illustration of a colorful, psychedelic landscape featuring two people standing on a hill speaking to one another

Tripping over the potential of psychedelics for autism

by  /  31 May 2022

Drugs such as LSD act primarily on the serotonin system, which is implicated in autism — and some autistic people who experiment with psychoactive compounds report enhanced social connections, among other benefits. But researchers have more questions than answers.

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Spectrum Index: Self-harm hospitalizations, everolimus flops in phase 2 trial

by  /  30 May 2022

This month’s newsletter also highlights deflated autism prevalence estimates from Shanghai, China.

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Speech bubble formed by a network of communication

Community Newsletter: Ethical review boards, Spectrum 10K, participatory tips

by  /  29 May 2022

The autism science community this week tweeted about whether underpowered studies pose ethical questions, if Spectrum 10K should restart and why autistic advocates participate in biomedical research.

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people stand in as the base pairs in a DNA helix.

Spectrum 10K gets green light from ethics agency

by  /  27 May 2022

After a months-long review, the United Kingdom’s Health Research Authority upheld an earlier ethics approval for the embattled autism genetics study.

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Illustration of a rat in profile with the middle section of its body replaced by a red outline containing small yellow polygons against a navy blue background

Six steps to using machine learning for animal behavior research

by  /  26 May 2022

Machine-learning tools are widely available and can help speed up studies in animal models of autism. Here’s how to get started with the ‘minimal viable product’ and a few pro tips.

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Ultrasound in black and white shows a pattern.

Heart anomalies abound in mouse models of autism

by  /  23 May 2022

Of nine genetic models examined in a new study, all had some incidence of cardiac abnormalities. But the problems varied widely depending on the affected genes.

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

Community Newsletter: COVID-19 at INSAR, PTEN enhancer, baby sib findings

by  /  22 May 2022

This week’s newsletter looks at tweets about COVID-19 at last week’s INSAR meeting, an unusual enhancer regulating the autism-linked gene PTEN, and new findings from the Infant Brain Imaging Study.

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