Spectrum: Autism Research News

Research roundup

• Nonfunctional variants of CHD8, a top autism gene, cause subtle anatomical changes in the developing mouse brain. BMC Research Notes
• Scientists who publish in open-access journals that carry publication fees tend to be well-funded men who hold senior positions at prestigious institutions. Quantitative Science Studies
• Brain pathways in the hippocampus may mature differently in people with 22q11 deletion syndrome, who have an elevated risk of developing psychosis. Biological Psychiatry
• Most people with autism, particularly those under age 5, have experienced disruptions in healthcare during the coronavirus pandemic; Spectrum covered this study’s preliminary data last year. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
• Autistic women of reproductive age appear to have more health conditions than non-autistic women. Autism
• People with autism and those with schizophrenia seem to share similar structural dimensions in 41 brain areas; Spectrum reported on a related study in October. Molecular Psychiatry
• The brain’s capacity to produce dopamine appears to be similar in autistic and non-autistic people. Translational Psychiatry
• Rapid decay of mRNA in cells may be a driving molecular pathway that links FMRP-protein loss with fragile X syndrome. Nature Cell Biology
• Toddlers aged 1 to 2 years respond similarly to parent gestures whether they have a family history of autism or not; those whose parents gestured the most have the largest vocabulary at age 3. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
• Mice dosed with LSD become more social — an effect mediated by excitatory neuronal pathways. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
• Among preschool-age children, autistic boys tend to show more repetitive and restricted behaviors than autistic girls do. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

Science and society

• Reporting an association between a laboring woman’s epidural and the likelihood that her child will have autism can impart more harm than good, an anesthesiologist says, echoing critiques reported in a Spectrum article. Anesthesiology News
• The White House has issued a statement committing to making its website accessible to people with disabilities. Whitehouse.gov
• A scientific controversy over how cell interiors are organized may affect how research is interpreted, as illustrated by this Spectrum story on the expression of genes in Rett syndrome. Science
• The nonprofit group 500 Women Scientists objects to Eric Lander’s nomination as presidential science adviser, calling it a failure to promote qualified women or Black, Indigenous and people of color. Scientific American
• The likelihood of having a mental health diagnosis is much higher in autistic than non-autistic children — nearly 78 percent versus 14 percent. Disability Scoop
• Using a smartwatch to deliver reminders is touted as a support for autistic students, but it focuses on ‘normative’ behaviors as defined by non-autistic makers. The Neurodiverse Universe
• In Pennsylvania, judges and healthcare experts are teaming up to improve courtroom experiences for people on the spectrum. KYW Newsradio
• The anticonvulsant drug carbamazepine may mitigate the memory difficulties and hyperactivity that occur in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome. Fragile X News Today
• A group of women biomedical engineers at U.S. universities is calling on the National Institutes of Health to take action for equity in grant-funding to Black academics in the field. Cell