Skip to main content

Spectrum: Autism Research News

News Archive

August 2023
Photograph of a family of rhesus macaque monkeys.

Father’s genes may drive sociability in male monkeys

by  /  18 August 2023

The findings in rhesus macaque monkeys may provide clues to sex differences in the heredity of social behavior in people.

Comments
A grid of four brain scans showing excess cerebrospinal fluid.

Is excess brain fluid an early marker of autism?

by  /  17 August 2023

Brain scans of hundreds of infants suggest that up to 80 percent of those with autism have unusual amounts of cerebrospinal fluid. Researchers are studying how this might contribute to the condition.

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

The true meaning of a null result

by  /  14 August 2023

This edition of Null and Noteworthy highlights results that reveal the difficulty in drawing definitive conclusions from data, including new findings about epidurals that contradict several others and an apparent null result on sex differences that may derive from “circular logic.”

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

Cognitive mapping; PTEN in peripheral nerves

by  /  13 August 2023

Researchers took to social media to discuss how cognitive maps form during learning. There was also talk about a study of peripheral nerves in mice missing PTEN, an autism-linked gene. That and more in this week’s Community Newsletter.

Comments
A series of stacks of blocks, with one stack miscolored and pixelated.

Concerns raised over autism prediction paper

by  /  11 August 2023

The paper was published in a journal that shut down after being overrun by paper mills.

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

Unwritten rules of tenure

by  /  9 August 2023

Academics are not always aware of the standards — both explicit and implicit — that are used to assess them for promotion. We explore these expectations and more in this month’s issue of the Spectrum Launch newsletter.

Comments
Photograph of a doctor and nurse checking a patient’s temperature and taking notes.

Co-occurring conditions in autistic teens increase with age

by  /  8 August 2023

The most prevalent conditions include obesity, neurological disorders, anxiety and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Comments
Speech bubble formed by a network of communication

NeuroDev retrospective; repetitive behaviors in fragile X mice

by  /  6 August 2023

A look back at NeuroDev’s first year gathering genomic and phenotypic data in Kenya and South Africa and a study on an underlying cause of repetitive behaviors in fragile X model mice absorbed researchers’ attention on social media this week. That and more in this week’s Community Newsletter.

Comments
An illustration of a hand pointing a finger at a stack of papers.

Autism in Adulthood gets its first impact factor

by  /  4 August 2023

The 4-year-old journal focuses on research that aims to improve the lives of autistic adults.

Comments
July 2023
Headshot of Bret Rutherford.

Exclusive: Shake-up at top psychiatric institute following suicide in clinical trial

by  /  31 July 2023

The New York State Psychiatric Institute in New York City is undergoing an audit and a change in leadership following a suicide that occurred during one of its clinical trials.

Comments