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Spectrum: Autism Research News

News Archive

November 2008

A drug that lasts for days

by  /  19 November 2008

A new slow-release form of the drug risperidone ― an antipsychotic given to people with schizophrenia, autism and other psychiatric conditions ― lasts in the blood days instead of hours, according to research presented today at the Society for Neuroscience meeting.

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microRNAs in mental illness

by  /  19 November 2008

Some small fragments of RNA, called microRNAs, are under-expressed in people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder compared with controls, according to unpublished research based on postmortem brain tissue presented this morning at the Society for Neuroscience meeting.

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Pathways to plasticity

by  /  18 November 2008

The molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity ― the ability of neurons to change the strength of their connections ― can vary across different inhibitory neural circuits as much as they can vary across excitatory neural circuits, according to research presented this morning at the Society for Neuroscience meeting.

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Lithium’s effect on fragile X mice

by  /  18 November 2008

Lithium treatment reverses some of the behavioral and brain-cell abnormalities in mouse models of fragile X syndrome ― an inherited form of mental retardation that includes learning deficits, aggressiveness, and social withdrawal ― according to research presented today at the Society for Neuroscience meeting.

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‘Optogenetics’ sheds light on role of different neurons

by  /  18 November 2008

For decades, those who study brain cell activity have faced a fundamental trade off: either closely monitor the activity of a single cell or look at the circuit level to see how large groups of neurons communicate with each other.

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Creating stem cells to study autism

by  /  18 November 2008

A team of scientists is reprogramming adult stem cells generated from tiny skin samples of people with autism to form nerve cells, creating a powerful research tool for the disorder.

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Clinical trial planned for Rett syndrome treatment

by  /  18 November 2008

Treatment with the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) greatly improves the health of mouse models of Rett syndrome ― a regressive genetic disorder that causes mental retardation, respiratory problems, and autistic features ― according to unpublished researched presented Monday at the Society for Neuroscience conference in Washington, D.C.

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Altering epigenetic changes

by  /  17 November 2008

Targeting epigenetic mechanisms may offer potential new therapies for people with developmental disorders including autism, researchers said today at the Society for Neuroscience meeting.

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A simple behavioral test for mice

by  /  17 November 2008

Researchers at the Society for Neuroscience today described a new test for animal behavior that doesn’t interfere with normal mouse behavior, doesn’t require human interaction, and makes it simple to take long-term measurements: the ‘licking testʼ.

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Prenatal folate linked to autism

by  /  17 November 2008

Women who take prenatal vitamins and eat cereal supplemented with folic acid in the early months of pregnancy are less likely to have children with autism compared with women who consume less folate, suggests preliminary data from a survey presented today at the Society for Neuroscience conference.

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