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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Opinion /

Q&A

Conversations with experts about noteworthy topics in autism.

Illustration of a watch with the face taken up by an MRI scan of a brain.

Ruth Carper: Imaging the aging brain in autistic adults

by  /  19 May 2023

Few studies have tracked how brain structure and function change across adulthood in people with autism. Carper and her colleagues are collecting data to fill this gap.

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April 2023
Illustration of a room with DNA sequence wallpaper and three doors leading to abstract new environments.

The future of autism therapies: A conversation with Lilia Iakoucheva and Derek Hong

by  /  14 April 2023

If a therapy for autism’s core traits makes it to market, it will likely take one of three forms, the researchers say.

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March 2023
Illustration of a single patient in a clinical trial sitting on a bed in a glitchy, imperfectly rendered room.

Lessons from n-of-1 trials: A conversation with Joseph Gleeson

by  /  30 March 2023

Some conditions are too rare for conventional drug trials, leading some scientists to test bespoke treatments in single participants. Gleeson discusses the merits — and limitations — of these tiny trials.

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February 2023
MRI scan of a 2-year-old child.

Mapping genetic influences on the infant brain: A chat with Rebecca Knickmeyer

by  /  27 February 2023

Researchers know little about the ways genetic variants affect development in the infant brain. Knickmeyer, who launched the Organization for Imaging Genomics in Infancy, has spent the past five years trying to close the gap.

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A group of children walk up stairs

Filling autism knowledge gaps in Latin America: Q&A with Cecilia Montiel-Nava

by  /  13 February 2023

Countries across Latin America and the Caribbean struggle to collect data on autism, but Cecilia Montiel-Nava and the Latin American Autism Spectrum Network are beginning to change that.

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January 2023
An illustration of a questionnaire that is slightly visually distorted

Tempering tales of a new autism measure: A conversation with Thomas Frazier

by  /  20 January 2023

The questionnaire, designed to screen children for autism, isn’t ready for clinical use without further validation, contrary to what some overblown newspaper headlines reported.

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Image of neurons during a seizure.

Calming neurons to quell seizures: Q&A with Gabriele Lignani and Dimitri Kullmann

by  /  3 January 2023

A new gene therapy approach for epilepsy tamps down neural activity on demand.

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November 2022
A pattern in the style of genetic sequencing forms into the shape of the African continent.

Africa’s genomic role: Q&A with Conrad Iyegbe and Niran Okewole

by  /  28 November 2022

Psychiatric genomics promises to shed light on the genetic basis of autism, but it’s vital to include Africa in this research, Iyegbe and Okewole say.

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October 2022
Conceptual illustration of a group of brain scans.

Boosting brain power: A conversation with Damien Fair

by  /  25 October 2022

Collecting brain scans from thousands of people can be challenging in autism research; data-sharing and collaborative efforts can help drive results that stand up to statistical scrutiny.

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Photograph of a mouse nesting in a pile of hay.

Scoring mouse behaviors: Q&A with Michael Sidorov

by  /  17 October 2022

A new analysis package enables researchers to distill multiple measures of Angelman syndrome mice into a single ‘severity score.’

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An illustration of a scientist sitting at a desk with abstract shapes representing ideas floating above her.

Designing autism-friendly trials: Q&A with Caroline Averius and Zachary Williams

by  /  7 October 2022

The pair’s new guidebook offers practical steps to make clinical trials easier and more meaningful for autistic participants.

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  • Genes

    Genes

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    The Brain

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    Diagnosis

  • Signs and Symptoms

    Signs & Symptoms

  • Treatments

    Treatments

  • Environment

    Environment

  • Science and Society

    Science & Society