Spectrum: Autism Research News

Research roundup

• Experienced diagnosticians accurately assess autism in young children after a five-minute observation 92 percent of the time. Autism Research
• Autism-associated gene variants alter the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans’ performance on a behavioral task. PLOS One
• Some naturally occurring gene variants can protect yeast cells from the deleterious effects of gene mutations. Molecular Systems Biology
• Impaired calcium signaling in astrocytes correlates with behavioral problems in a mouse model of autism. Nature Communications
• Neuronal excitability appears to be altered in a brain region called the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in a mouse model of Dravet syndrome. eNeuro
• In a study of behavioral and cognitive function in people with Cantú syndrome, 15 percent of participants appeared to have autism. American Journal of Medical Genetics
• The remaining gaps in the human genome have been sequenced, according to an international team of scientists. STAT
• Parents and clinicians tend to rate an autistic child’s social-communication skills, but not her challenging behaviors, similarly. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
• Infants with neurofibromatosis type 1, a condition linked to autism, show diminished age-related changes in auditory responsiveness compared with controls. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Science and society

• A Massachusetts-based research group has developed “10 simple rules” for productive lab meetings — including being inclusive, supportive and civil — that can lead to better science. PLOS Computational Biology
• The International Society for Stem Cell Research has relaxed its rule about growing human embryos to allow longer than 14 days in some cases. Nature
• Whether scientists pursue an academic career seems to depend on their experiences in graduate school and postdoctoral research, which implies that supportive structures can influence people in underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. eNeuro
• Jory Fleming, thought to be the first Rhodes scholar on the spectrum, has written a book, “How to Be Human: An Autistic Man’s Guide to Life.” Houston Chronicle
• The editor-in-chief of JAMA has resigned after fallout from comments made on the journal’s podcast claiming that that there is no structural racism in The New York Times