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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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Emerging tools and techniques that may advance autism research.

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October 2012

Short screening tool flags children with autism

by  /  3 October 2012

A subset of questions on two behavioral screens can distinguish children with autism from those with other developmental disorders, according to a study published 23 August in Autism.

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September 2012
Image of stem cells that have differentiated into a variety of brain cell types.

Human stem cells generate miniature brain regions

by  /  25 September 2012

Researchers have induced stem cells to form three-dimensional clumps of neurons that resemble miniature brains, according to a study published 31 July in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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‘Maturation index’ predicts neurons’ developmental age

by  /  19 September 2012

Researchers have developed an index that can predict the age of developing interneurons, which inhibit signals in the brain, according to a study published 24 August in PLoS One. They then used this measurement to show that interneurons are immature in autism brains.

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A person wearing blue jeans and black sneakers walks next to a series of arrows placed on the ground.

Video technology reveals autism gait is symmetrical

by  /  12 September 2012

Researchers have used a motion-capture system to show that children with autism do not rely on one side of the body more than the other when walking. Their findings were published in the 2012 issue of Autism Research Treatment.

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Illustration of a brain neuron.

Device helps record neuronal activity in moving rats

by  /  5 September 2012

A new device allows researchers to identify the precise source of an emitted brain signal measured in freely moving rats, according to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of Neurophysiology.

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August 2012

New device rapidly identifies worms with mutations

by  /  29 August 2012

A new tool can sort through a population of mutant nematodes and identify those with altered neuronal connections, according to a study published 19 August in Nature Methods.

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Algorithm fine-tunes analysis of rare variants

by  /  22 August 2012

A new algorithm increases the accuracy of techniques that detect rare genetic variants among populations, according to a study published 27 July in Bioinformatics.

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Researchers recreate blood-brain barrier in dish

by  /  15 August 2012

Using a two-step process to reprogram human stem cells, researchers have recreated the barrier that protects the brain from toxic molecules, according to a study published 24 June in Nature Biotechnology.

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Software builds function-based gene networks

by  /  8 August 2012

A new tool called Gene2FANs creates gene-association networks based on 14 databases that list gene function as well as protein-protein interactions, according to a study published 2 July in BMC Informatics.

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Choice of light-sensitive channel alters inhibitory signals

by  /  1 August 2012

An innovative technique that uses waves of light to silence brain signaling in live animals can affect subsequent neuronal signals, according to a study published 24 June in Nature Neuroscience.

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