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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: emotion processing

November 2014

Enriched environment staves off autism-like behavior in rats

by  /  20 November 2014

Rats exposed in utero to the epilepsy drug valproic acid, a risk factor for autism, do not develop autism-like behaviors if they are reared in a stimulating environment. Researchers presented the unpublished findings yesterday at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

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Therapy for autism may alter brain activity, behavior

by  /  19 November 2014

After four months of a behavioral therapy known as pivotal response training, children with autism show improved behavior and enhanced activity in brain regions that process social information. Researchers presented these preliminary results from a trial yesterday at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

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People subconsciously process emotions early in life

by  /  16 November 2014

By 7 months of age, babies can subconsciously discriminate between happy and fearful emotions by looking only at the eyes of another person, suggest results presented at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

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July 2014

Pac-Man maze leads children with autism to ‘good’ smiles

by  /  4 July 2014

A computer game based on face recognition helps children with autism feign expressions more convincingly than before.

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April 2014

The cerebellum’s surprisingly evolved role in autism

by  /  1 April 2014

Thought until recently to only coordinate motor skills, the cerebellum is involved in diverse cognitive functions such as language and social interaction, and may play a role in autism, says Emanuel DiCicco-Bloom.

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March 2014

Cognition and behavior: Oxytocin helps recognize faces

by  /  14 March 2014

Genetic variants in a receptor for the hormone oxytocin may contribute to the range of social skills seen in individuals with and without autism, suggests a study published 4 February in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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February 2014

Cognition and behavior: Oxytocin may socialize autism brains

by  /  28 February 2014

Treatment with the hormone oxytocin boosts brain activity and improves recognition of emotions in people with autism, according to two small studies published in February.

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Virtual joystick shows preference for personal space

by  /  19 February 2014

Children with autism are likely to keep more distance between themselves and a welcoming avatar than controls do in a virtual reality setup, suggesting that they derive less pleasure from social situations, according to a study published 17 January in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

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Teenagers with autism avoid exercise

by  /  7 February 2014

Teenagers with autism or other psychiatric disorders are far less likely to exercise or play team sports than their typical peers, reports a Norwegian study published 22 January.

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January 2014

Intense world theory raises intense worries

by ,  /  21 January 2014

The ‘intense world theory’ of autism, which has attracted much interest from the popular press, has received very little academic scrutiny. Uta Frith and Anna Remington ask: Is it as positive as it purports to be, and what does it mean for autism?

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