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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: hyperactivity

May 2012

Genetics: SHANK1 mutations found in men with autism

by  /  11 May 2012

Researchers have identified deletions in SHANK1 — the third member of a gene family that is closely linked to autism — in five men with the disorder, they reported 4 May in the American Journal of Human Genetics. This is the first study linking SHANK1 mutations to people with autism.

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Biased search

by  /  1 May 2012

Publication bias is making antidepressants look like a better option for treating autism than they really are, according to a study published last week in Pediatrics.

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April 2012

Chili pepper protein can alter behavior of mice

by  /  18 April 2012

By manipulating the location of a protein that detects capsaicin, the molecule responsible for the burn in hot chili peppers, researchers can activate subpopulations of neurons and alter the behavior of mice. The results were published 20 March in Nature Communications.

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Clinical research: Drug improves quality of life with autism

by  /  17 April 2012

Aripiprazole, a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat irritability in children with autism, may also improve their overall health-related quality of life, according to a retrospective analysis of two clinical trials. The results were published 21 March in Clinical Therapeutics.

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March 2012
blue intestine model made of clay on blue background.

Clinical research: Gut bacteria prevalent in autism

by  /  9 March 2012

A certain type of bacteria is prevalent in the intestines of children who have both autism and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms but absent in controls, according to a study published 10 January in mBio.

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Clinical trials for autism treatments go online

by  /  8 March 2012

A new clinical trial, conducted entirely online, could provide a model for how to quickly and efficiently test some potential treatments for autism.

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February 2012

Insights for autism from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

by  /  7 February 2012

Autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder show genetic and neurobiological overlap, which may provide clues to the origin of both disorders, says Joel Nigg.

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January 2012

Clinical research: Study suggests drug for fragile X syndrome

by  /  17 January 2012

A compound that boosts inhibitory signals in the brain could treat hyperactivity and excitability in mice that model fragile X syndrome, according to a study published 8 November in Developmental Neuroscience.

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December 2011

Molecular mechanisms: Protein linked to autism-like behavior

by  /  9 December 2011

HMGN1, a protein that regulates gene expression, leads to social deficits and hyperactivity when expressed at elevated levels in mice, according to a study published 9 December in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. This effect may result from HMGN1 dampening MeCP2 expression, the study suggests.

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November 2011

Researchers debut SHANK2 mouse, SHANK3 rat

by  /  14 November 2011

Mice lacking the autism risk gene SHANK2 show social deficits and are extremely hyperactive, according to unpublished research presented Saturday at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

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