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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: emotion processing

July 2022
A cross-section of the human brain and limbic system

Amygdala-linked brain areas grow differently in autism

by  /  13 July 2022

The growth differences vary between autistic boys and girls and are most apparent among children with prominent social difficulties.

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March 2022
Illustration of hybrid objects: part light bulb, part lab vial, some in blue and some in red to signify null and replicated results

Null and Noteworthy: Halted vasopressin trial, intact visual memory, a new way to study emotions

by  /  10 March 2022

In this edition of Null and Noteworthy, a large clinical trial goes sideways, while memory and emotions hold up.

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October 2021

How an understudied trait has skewed autism studies for decades

by  /  27 October 2021

Many autistic people have a little-known trait called alexithymia, defined as having difficulty identifying one’s own emotions. New research suggests that the overlap has been confounding studies of emotional issues in people with autism for decades.

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Photo: A boy in a yellow long-sleeve shirt washes his hands in a public restroom.

Inflexible thinking in adolescence linked to emotional, behavioral issues in adulthood

by  /  22 October 2021

Treating cognitive inflexibility — for example, by practicing problem-solving — might help ease anxiety and depression in autistic people.

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June 2021
Two people having an intense conversation, one unable to make direct eye contact.

Alexithymia, not autism, may drive eye-gaze patterns

by  /  14 June 2021

How autistic people look at a face may be linked more to alexithymia, a condition marked by difficulties recognizing one’s own emotions, than to autism.

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May 2021
Boy in front of colorful constellation or universe, studying the realms of outer space.

The benefits of special interests in autism

by  /  12 May 2021

Researchers are studying how the intense passions of autistic people shape the brain, improve well-being and enhance learning.

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February 2021
Female teen in an institutional setting, blue light by widows, blinds drawn.

Emotional challenges predict hospital stays in autistic children

by  /  24 February 2021

Autistic children who have difficulty managing their emotions are also likely to take medication and need assistance from emergency responders.

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November 2020

Difficulty identifying emotions linked to poor mental health in autistic people

by  /  12 November 2020

Autistic people who have trouble identifying their emotions are also likely to have anxiety, depression and problems with social communication.

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October 2020
Illustration shows young woman surrounded by the confusion of puberty and body changes.

Puberty may arrive early for some autistic girls

by  /  27 October 2020

Girls with autism tend to start puberty earlier than their peers do, which may intensify their social difficulties and put them at an increased risk for bullying and mental health conditions such as depression.

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August 2020
Two faces interacting socially while data is being recorded, illustration.

Facial expressions between autistic and typical people may be mismatched

by  /  28 August 2020

Conversations between an autistic and a typical person involve less smiling and more mismatched facial expressions than do interactions between two typical people.

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