Emerging technologies and software may help assess the subtle behaviors, such as gaze or social gestures, that go awry in children with autism, researchers said at the Engineering and Autism conference earlier this month.
A comprehensive analysis of large deletions and duplications of DNA bolsters the idea that some cases of developmental delay and autism result from a combination of two damaging hits to the genome, according to research published 12 September in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Sophisticated eye-tracking tools and other technologies are making it easier to record and analyze social interactions, and may help researchers study social deficits in children with autism. Researchers debuted some of these tools 28 September at the Engineering and Autism conference in Los Angeles.
Adapting the hospital environment to suit the needs of children with autism can cut down how long the children spend there and how often they return, suggests a study in the 2012 issue of Autism Research and Treatment.
The nonprofit Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle plans to make neurons from stem cells derived from people with a number of different disorders. The resource, described 25 September at a conference in New York, will be available to all scientists.
A new study finds that 48 of every 10,000 children in Israel have autism. This rate, published 27 July in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, is higher than previous estimates for Israel, but lower than the reported U.S. prevalence.
Deleting an enzyme that regulates protein synthesis reverses some of the molecular and behavioral deficits in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome, according to research published 2 October in Neuron.
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.
Deleting CYFIP1, a gene within a region linked to Angelman syndrome and autism, in mice leads to symptoms reminiscent of fragile X syndrome, according to a study published 10 August in PLoS One.
Amphetamines and other compounds with stimulant properties may improve social behaviors in a subset of individuals who have autism with hyperactivity, says Jill Silverman.