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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: depression

May 2012

Blood biomarkers can help diagnose schizophrenia

by  /  2 May 2012

A biological signature in the blood could be used to aid the early diagnosis of schizophrenia, according to a study published 12 April in Molecular Psychiatry. The results suggest that various circulating immune molecules and metabolites reflect the biological changes that underlie neurological disorders.

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December 2011

Genetics: Family pedigrees suggest autism gene candidates

by  /  14 December 2011

Researchers have identified 12 duplications or deletions of DNA regions that are transmitted along with autism in families with a history of the disorder. The results were published 7 October in PLoS One.

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Neurons made from stem cells reveal cellular flaws in autism

by  /  8 December 2011

Researchers have uncovered cellular abnormalities in Timothy syndrome by regenerating neurons from individuals with the rare autism-related disorder, according to a study published 27 November in Nature Medicine.

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October 2011

Teenage wasteland

by  /  11 October 2011

Teenagers with milder forms of autism withdraw socially in adolescence, even as some symptoms associated with the disorder wane.

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September 2011

Aging enigma

by  /  13 September 2011

Nothing is known about how the brain changes in aging individuals with autism, according to a review published online 24 August in Gerontology. Nor do researchers know whether the core symptoms of the disorder improve, worsen or remain unchanged with age.

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August 2011

Questionnaire rates social skills during play

by  /  31 August 2011

Researchers can use the Manchester Inventory for Playground Observation, a questionnaire that rates children’s interactions with their peers, to reliably measure social skills in children with autism.

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New focus on repetition, obsession in autism studies

by  /  18 August 2011

New studies of restricted and repetitive behaviors link autism to other disorders and may lead to more effective treatments.

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July 2011

Clinical research: Antidepressant use in pregnancy linked to autism

by  /  22 July 2011

Taking antidepressants while pregnant may slightly increase the risk of having a child with autism, reports a study published 4 July in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

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June 2011

Drug trials for fragile X syndrome lead the way for autism

by  /  21 June 2011

Several targeted trials on drugs that treat fragile X syndrome are under way. But accurate endpoints to measure the drugs’ effectiveness are crucial, argues developmental and behavioral pediatrician Randi Hagerman.

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Schizophrenia gene directs two autism genes at synapse

by  /  2 June 2011

A new study provides the first functional link between the schizophrenia risk gene DISC1 and two candidate genes for autism. DISC1 significantly alters expression of NRXN1 and NRXN2 at key phases of development, according to a brief report in the June issue of Molecular Psychiatry.

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