Skip to main content

Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: connectivity

April 2021
Colorful RNA in mouse brain slice

Tissue-swelling method divulges RNA locations, sequences in cells

by  /  28 April 2021

A technique that expands tissue before spotting and sequencing RNA — the molecular messenger for DNA — enables researchers to see where particular genes are expressed in cells.

Comments
February 2021
Mouse brains show different brain regions lighting up

Ultrasound probe reveals brain circuit activity in living mice

by  /  18 February 2021

A new high-resolution imaging device tracks brain activity in awake mice, enabling researchers to map neural circuits across the entire brain.

Comments
January 2021
Mouse brain scan video still in black and white.

New mouse brain atlas traces connections in fine detail

by  /  13 January 2021

A new wiring diagram of the mouse brain could help autism researchers better study how brain connections vary in mice with different genetic backgrounds.

Comments
Baby getting an MRI scan

Imaging study casts doubt on cerebellum’s role in autism during infancy

by  /  13 January 2021

Connections between the cerebellum and brain networks do not seem to contribute substantially to the emergence of autism traits.

Comments
Senior man lying down in scanning machine.

Studies hint at effects of aging on autistic brains

by  /  12 January 2021

People with autism or autism traits may be especially vulnerable to brain aging and cognitive decline, two studies suggest.

Comments
dopamine neurons in mice show up green in an area of the brain associated with social reward.

Dopamine neurons may dampen social behavior in mouse model of autism

by  /  12 January 2021

Mice missing a copy of the autism-linked gene PTEN show a reduced preference for social interaction, possibly due to atypically large, overconnected dopamine neurons. Easing the overconnection may alleviate this trait.

Comments
November 2020
Brain diagrams showing connectivity within different regions.

Gene mutations point to overlaps in brain connectivity for autism, schizophrenia

by  /  30 November 2020

People who have large mutations associated with autism and schizophrenia share atypical patterns of brain connectivity, according to a new study, especially between areas that process sensory information.

Comments
August 2020
Micrograph of neurons in mouse brain.

Inside scientists’ quest to map, modulate social circuits in autism

by  /  17 August 2020

A growing number of studies are revealing circuits that may underlie social challenges in autism — and how to fine-tune them.

Comments
Collage illustration showing Lucina Uddin portrait with eye movements and brain images

Rethinking ‘noise’ in autism research

by  /  11 August 2020

Lucina Uddin says researchers should be cautious when analyzing their findings, because ‘noisy’ data may actually hold important information about brain functioning.

Comments
July 2020
grid of six brain slices in different staining methods.

Software maps neurons to reference brain atlas

by  /  29 July 2020

A computer program aligns mouse brain images with a reference brain atlas, helping researchers analyze neurons and their connections in a standardized way.

Comments