Skip to main content

Spectrum: Autism Research News

News /

Toolbox

Emerging tools and techniques that may advance autism research.

Previous articles
August 2012

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.

Comments

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.

Comments

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.

Comments

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.

Comments
July 2012

Simple worms could help unravel complex human brains

by  /  25 July 2012

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans may serve as a useful model to study synapses, the junctions between neurons, according to a study published 18 June in PLoS One.

Comments

Radio implants help study social interactions in mice

by  /  18 July 2012

Radio sensors that track multiple frequencies from devices implanted into mice allow researchers to track the animals’ social behavior, according to a report published 12 June in the Journal of Neuroscience Methods.

Comments

Expression data links gene candidates to autism

by  /  11 July 2012

Identifying genetic variants that affect the expression of other genes can enhance traditional gene association analyses and highlight candidate risk factors for autism, according to a study published 16 May in Molecular Autism.

Comments

Researchers debut ‘virtual microscope’ for mouse brain

by  /  4 July 2012

Researchers have released the first set of data from the Mouse Brain Architecture Project, which uses light microscopy to trace neuronal circuits in the mouse brain.

Comments
June 2012

Wheel-running test assesses autism behaviors in mice

by  /  27 June 2012

Researchers can evaluate core features of autism, such as social deficits and stereotyped behaviors, by watching how mice used to running on a wheel react when the wheel is broken, according to a study published 24 May in Behavioral Brain Research.

Comments

Whole-brain circuits light up in fish brains

by  /  20 June 2012

A new approach allows researchers to visualize individual neurons in the small, clear brains of larval zebrafish as they interact with their surroundings, according to a study published 9 May in Nature.

Comments

Browse Articles by Topic

Click on the arrows or swipe to view topics.
  • Genes

    Genes

  • The Brain

    The Brain

  • Diagnosis

    Diagnosis

  • Signs and Symptoms

    Signs & Symptoms

  • Treatments

    Treatments

  • Environment

    Environment

  • Science and Society

    Science & Society