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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: autism

May 2011

Networks of genes altered in autism brains, study says

by  /  25 May 2011

Two networks of genes are abnormally expressed in the brains of people with autism, according to a study published today in Nature.

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New tool links gene to function in zebrafish

by  /  25 May 2011

Researchers have devised a way to inactivate genes in zebrafish embryos, creating a collection of hundreds of mutant fish lines in which gene function can be explored. The technique was published online 8 May in Nature Methods.

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Hive mind

by  /  24 May 2011

Social media is powerful, and scientists can and should harness it to help answer difficult questions. But as with any easy solution, there is a corresponding cautionary tale: Social media can just as easily misguide as be meaningful.

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Genetics: Multiple hits affect key pathways in autism

by  /  24 May 2011

Individuals with autism have multiple mutations in a pathway that functions in the mitochondria, the energy center of the cell, according to a study published 27 April in the European Journal of Human Genetics. They also have higher-than-average numbers of variants in pathways involved in metabolism, gene expression and the regulation of cell division.

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Isabelle Rapin: Lessons from my clinic

by  /  24 May 2011

Autism is diagnosed based on the severity and variety of its symptoms. This makes it very difficult to diagnose and easy to confuse with other disorders, such as language delay and intellectual disability, cautions Isabelle Rapin.

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Rett protein alters visual circuits in mice

by  /  23 May 2011

MeCP2, the protein that’s missing or mutated in Rett syndrome, is crucial for remodeling neural circuits in response to vision, according to a study published in April in Neuron.

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Screen test

by  /  20 May 2011

Genetic screening of children with autism is critical to designing more effective interventions and treatment, says a pediatrician.

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Clinical research: Speech devices useful for people with autism

by  /  20 May 2011

Speech-generating devices are a beneficial intervention for people with autism who cannot speak or sign, according to two studies published in the past few months.

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Genetics: Pathway links autism, intellectual disability

by  /  18 May 2011

Individuals with intellectual disability are more likely than controls to have harmful mutations in autism candidate genes, according to a study published 11 March in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

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Imaging tool maps regions within amygdala

by  /  18 May 2011

A new method can distinguish between sub-regions of the amygdala, the deep nub of tissue that is involved in emotion processing and that shows abnormal activity in people with autism, according to a study published in the June issue of NeuroImage.

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