Research roundup
- Scientists conducting a longitudinal study of genetics and health recruited large numbers of people via social media. American Journal of Human Genetics
- A new analytical method outperforms others in interpreting social behavior in a mouse model of autism. Autism Research
- Prolonging brain waves called ‘sharp-wave ripples’ in the hippocampus, the brain’s memory hub, improves working memory in mice. Science
- For neurodevelopmental conditions, sequencing a person’s genes is more informative than chromosomal microarray, the standard method of genetic testing in the United States. Genetics in Medicine
- Two genes may predict the drug metformin’s ability to prevent autistic children’s weight gain from antipsychotic medications. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology
- People who have attempted suicide more than once tend to have more autism traits than those who have made one or no attempts. Molecular Autism
- Factors that help autistic adolescents learn to drive include previous mastery of life skills and parent participation. Autism in Adulthood
- Experiments that use light to stimulate brain activity must control for light-generated heat. Nature Neuroscience
Science and society
- A person died after contracting an infection from an experimental fecal transplant. The New York Times
- Mouse lemurs, which are primates, may be a better model organism than mice, as they are more closely related to people than rodents are. Nature
- Francis Collins, director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, calls for an end to all-male panels of speakers, or ‘manels.’ National Institutes of Health
- Cephalopods — squid, octopus and cuttlefish — could be ideal model organisms for studying evolutionary biology. Hakai Magazine
- The gender difference in autism prevalence is perpetuated by bias and harms girls and women. Genetic Literacy Project
- Former autism researcher Jon Brock critiques a study that claims gut bacteria from autistic people induce autism-like behaviors in mice. Medium
- Keeping up with autism research can be helpful for parents of autistic children. Autism Parenting Magazine
- The U.S. government is pushing for more scrutiny of primate research, forcing scientists to justify it. STAT
- A nonverbal man with intellectual disability was shot by an off-duty police officer in a Los Angeles-area shopping center. Los Angeles Times
- Healthcare providers in Staffordshire, England, routinely neglect autistic children experiencing mental health crises. The Guardian
- There is little evidence that wearable brain stimulators benefit consumers. The Scientist
Autism and the arts
- Stand-up comedy performed by and for people with autism has become more popular. The New York Times