Spectrum: Autism Research News

Research roundup

• Lack of awareness, inadequate healthcare and stigma all contribute to large gaps in the diagnosis and treatment of autism in Nigeria. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
• Social cognition, such as recognizing emotions in others, makes a small but measurable contribution to social and daily living skills in autistic adults. Autism Research
• Three children with duplicated or deleted copies of the gene CNTN4 show language and cognitive delay but are not autistic. European Journal of Medical Genetics
• People in Finland who receive a psychiatric diagnosis before age 25 have markedly low earnings, a result of high rates of unemployment and lack of higher education. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
• A comparison of mouse and human cells in a brain region called the medial temporal gyrus revealed both highly conserved and vastly divergent features. Nature
• The rise in vaccine exemptions in Texas could lead to more than 400 measles cases in metropolitan areas, according to a simulation. JAMA Network Open
• A genetic variant linked to autism and intellectual disability induces thinning of a fatty substance called myelin that surrounds nerves in rat brains. Nature Communications
• New mothers who used a smartphone app that encouraged them to consider their babies’ emotions and mental states were more attuned to their children at 6 months of age than were mothers who did not use the app. PLOS One
• Brain cells called glia that support neurons help set the stage for seizures in a zebrafish model of epilepsy. Nature Communications
• Autistic adults form negative impressions of others with autism traits but show less bias against them than neurotypical adults do. Autism in Adulthood

Science and society

• Gene expression in human neurons is markedly different than in mouse neurons, perhaps explaining why animal models of brain conditions often translate poorly to human conditions. STAT
• In controversial studies, scientists seek to understand how microbial exposure during birth affects health by swabbing newborns born by cesarean section with their mother’s vaginal bacteria. Nature
• U.S. scientists are using CRISPR to edit genes in human sperm. NPR
• The Trump administration is considering a project that uses volunteers to identify early signs of violent behavior, as a way to reduce gun violence. The Washington Post
• Sharing mental health struggles on social media can help people find support, although it is no substitute for treatment. Kaiser Health News
• Autism can be diagnosed reliably at 18 months, new data suggest. Harvard Health Blog
• A Detroit, Michigan, yacht club invites autistic people to join crews and learn to sail at an annual event. Click On Detroit
• Public-health advocates realize they are battling vaccine hesitancy more than measles. The New Yorker

Autism and the arts

• An autistic artist in Colorado Springs, Colorado, makes a living by painting murals and custom sneakers. KRDO

Publishing

• The publisher Wiley has a new infographic about how to choose the right journal for your research paper. Wiley