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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: hippocampus

June 2015

Enzyme’s discovery points to new approach for fragile X

by  /  16 June 2015

Researchers have discovered an enzyme that lowers brain levels of FMRP, the protein missing in people with fragile X syndrome. Blocking the enzyme may ease fragile X symptoms in people with the disorder who have low levels of FMRP and mild symptoms.

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Cell skeleton breakdown may spur autism symptoms in mice

by  /  15 June 2015

An autism-linked mutation in the SHANK3 gene alters the protein skeleton of mouse neurons. Repairing the scaffold eases the animals’ social deficits.

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May 2015

Rare regressive disorder is not autism, new findings suggest

by  /  15 May 2015

Children who are diagnosed with autism after drastically and suddenly losing cognitive abilities may actually have a distinct disorder, according to data presented yesterday at the 2015 International Meeting for Autism Research in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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March 2015

Powerful memory system may compensate for autism’s deficits

by ,  /  17 March 2015

A brain system called declarative memory may help people learn scripts and strategies that alleviate autism symptoms, say Michael Ullman and Mariel Pullman.

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Treatment eases fragile X symptoms in flies, mice

by  /  9 March 2015

Blocking an enzyme involved in learning and memory corrects brain abnormalities and improves memory in fly and mouse models of fragile X syndrome.

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December 2014

‘Brain-normalizing’ therapy points to new kind of biomarker

by  /  1 December 2014

Pivotal response treatment, an effective form of behavioral therapy for autism, normalizes brain activity in children with the disorder, according to a small study published earlier this month in Brain Imaging and Behavior. This suggests that brain imaging can signal early responses to autism treatments.

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November 2014

Exposure to ‘auntie’ mouse is therapeutic for fragile X mice

by  /  25 November 2014

A setup that mimics early behavioral intervention reverses social and cognitive deficits seen in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome.

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Social hormone primes neurons needed to remember friends

by  /  18 November 2014

Oxytocin may influence social behavior by priming brain circuits in a region of the hippocampus important for social memory, according to preliminary results presented yesterday at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

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Family of autism-linked proteins helps neurons communicate

by  /  16 November 2014

The SHANK family of proteins, some of which are strong autism candidates, work together to facilitate brain signaling, according to unpublished results presented yesterday at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

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October 2014

Seizures trigger autism-like behaviors in mice

by  /  23 October 2014

Mice with an extra copy of the autism-linked gene UBE3A show abnormal social behavior after experiencing recurrent seizures. The findings, presented Tuesday at the Autism Consortium Research Symposium in Boston, provide one possible explanation for why seizures and autism often go hand in hand.

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