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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: face processing

February 2013

Autism brains marked by weak local connections, study says

by  /  21 February 2013

Connections between neighboring groups of brain cells are weaker in individuals with autism than in controls, according to a report published 14 January in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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December 2012

Cognition and behavior: Slow response to faces seen in TSC

by  /  14 December 2012

Children with the autism-related disorder tuberous sclerosis complex show sluggish brain activity in response to images of faces, according to a study published 8 November in the Journal of Child Neurology.

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November 2012
Retro engraving illustration of face with a terrified expression.

Cognition and behavior: Emotions confuse adults with autism

by  /  16 November 2012

Adults with autism are less specific and less reliable than controls at recognizing emotions from facial expressions, according to a study published 27 September in Neuropsychologia.

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Behavioral treatment for autism may normalize brain activity

by  /  12 November 2012

Early intensive therapy may normalize the brain’s response to faces in young children with autism, according to a study published in the November issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The results are part of a randomized, controlled trial of a treatment called the Early Start Denver Model.

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Cognition and behavior: Autism families see things differently

by  /  7 November 2012

Family members of individuals with autism process faces and scenes differently than do controls, according to two new studies, one of them published in October. This suggests that visual processing may be an autism endophenotype — a measurable symptom that represents part of the genetic risk of a disorder.

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October 2012

Social spontaneity

by  /  30 October 2012

People with autism don’t look at others’ eyes or mimic their actions in everyday life, but they can do these things when asked to, according a review published 7 September in Brain and Development. 

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White gloved hands hold a white mug and white saucer against a black background.

Cognition and behavior: Children with autism struggle to mime

by  /  30 October 2012

Children with autism have trouble imitating others’ actions, a trait that may be linked to their poor motor skills, according to a study published 10 September in PLoS One.

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Neurons in the amygdala have specialized functions

by  /  16 October 2012

The amygdala, an almond-shaped nub of brain tissue that processes emotions, has specialized neurons that respond to facial expressions and eye contact, according to unpublished work presented Monday at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

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Social interaction may activate unique brain region

by  /  15 October 2012

A distinct region of the social brain is activated when viewing interactions between two people, according to unpublished research presented Sunday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

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September 2012

Insights for autism from Williams syndrome

by  /  18 September 2012

Studying the well-characterized Williams syndrome could help researchers understand autism and discover new therapeutic targets, says Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg.

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