Research roundup
- Babies born to women who had preeclampsia during pregnancy may have an elevated risk of autism. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
- Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have more autism traits than those without the diagnosis. Psychological Medicine
- Cannabidiol diminishes seizures and normalizes brain activity in a mouse model of Angelman syndrome. The Journal of Clinical Investigation
- Autistic children who have repetitive behaviors around the time of their diagnosis may be at a heightened risk of developing anxiety. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Children who are younger than their school classmates are more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability or depression. JAMA Pediatrics
- Researchers use a 4D imaging technique, which detects changes in local blood flow over time, to study seizure-like activity in rats. Nature Methods
- Blind people’s brains show consistent responses in the visual cortex across individuals, suggesting an organized repurposing of neural networks. The Journal of Neuroscience
- Brain slowdown does not appear to predict an imminent seizure. Chaos
- People may perceive the label ‘Asperger syndrome’ more positively than ‘autism.’ Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Science and society
- Researchers are trying to devise a diagnosis for people in immediate danger of attempting suicide. Undark
- Some scientists have failed to get grants on women’s health topics because they did not include male participants. Ozy
- A Fox News talk-show guest called climate activist Greta Thunberg, who is autistic, “mentally ill,” prompting the TV network to apologize. The Washington Post
- Years after being diagnosed with anorexia, many women learn that they also have autism. Refinery29
- Vaccine hesitancy in the United States has been building for decades, arising from a number of disparate groups. The New York Times
- The U.S. Senate unanimously voted to renew the Autism CARES Act, a $1.8 billion bill to fund autism research and services. Disability Scoop
- The Developing Human Connectome Project has announced a second release of open-access data, with magnetic resonance images from more than 500 newborns. Developing Human Connectome Project
- Accepting money from individual donors for science and technology research brings risks along with funding, as recent events at the MIT Media Lab reveal. The Atlantic
- Babies born by cesarean section may have an elevated risk of autism, but it’s unclear why. The New York Times
- Google has announced it will prohibit advertising for unproven medical treatments such as stem cell therapies. STAT
Autism and the arts
- The Brazilian band Lyria has released a music video of “The Rain,” a song inspired by an autistic fan. Ultimate Guitar
Publishing
- A new journal, Experimental Results, aims to publish papers reporting incremental findings, replication studies and results that don’t support the hypothesis. Cambridge University Press
- A select group of scientists offers advice for peer reviewers. Cell
Funding news
- The U.S. National Institutes of Health has announced six research grants to support early psychosis intervention. National Institutes of Health