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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Opinion /

Q&A

Conversations with experts about noteworthy topics in autism.

Previous articles
November 2016
Mice in a house in a lab environment

Questions for Timothy Murphy: Mice take selfies of their brains

by  /  8 November 2016

By coaching mice to position themselves under a microscope, researchers can regularly peer into their brains without disrupting the rodents’ social life.

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female child crying

Questions for Bishop, Havdahl: Tantrums trick autism tests

by  /  1 November 2016

Children with low intelligence or behavioral issues — but not autism — may meet the criteria for autism on standard diagnostic tests.

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October 2016
Stained slices of a human brain

Questions for Ed Lein: Charting new territories in brains

by  /  11 October 2016

A new atlas provides the most in-depth look to date at the human brain.

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Questions for Rudolf Jaenisch: Creating mouse-human hybrids

by  /  4 October 2016

Despite ethical concerns, watching how human neurons develop in the mouse brain could help scientists understand conditions such as autism.

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September 2016

Questions for Rafael Yuste: How to rewire neurons with light

by  /  27 September 2016

Repeatedly activating a group of neurons causes them to fire as a unit on their own. Once the ensemble has formed, stimulating a single neuron triggers activity in the rest of the group.

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evolution of humankind

Questions for Evan Eichler: An evolving theory of autism

by  /  6 September 2016

A gene that raises the risk of autism in some people may also give humans an evolutionary boost.

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August 2016

Questions for Hyungbae Kwon: Building bridges in the brain

by  /  30 August 2016

A new study reveals how chemicals in the newborn brain forge connections between neurons.

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Questions for McCarroll, Stevens: How immune cells sculpt brains

by  /  2 August 2016

Genetic variants that impair a pathway that prunes neuronal connections may offer clues to autism.

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July 2016

Questions for Nordahl, Mello: Scans for children with autism

by  /  19 July 2016

Techniques used in behavioral interventions could help scientists scan the brains of children who have both autism and intellectual disability.

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June 2016

Questions for Robert Joseph: How extreme prematurity ups autism risk

by  /  21 June 2016

Autism is four times more prevalent among extremely premature babies than in the general population.

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