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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: macrocephaly

May 2014

Autism-linked chromosomal region regulates brain size

by  /  16 May 2014

The genes in 16p11.2, the autism-linked region on chromosome 16, may directly affect brain size early in development, according to unpublished research presented Thursday at the 2014 International Meeting for Autism Research in Atlanta.

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April 2014

Molecular mechanisms: Mutant mice seek out social contact

by  /  29 April 2014

Male mice that carry a specific mutation in the autism-linked PTEN gene have enlarged brains and show heightened interest in other mice, according to a study published 7 February in Human Molecular Genetics.

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Only human: People carry 271 copies of a repeated DNA sequence, compared with 30 repeats in monkeys, 4 in dolphins and 1 in mice.

Repeats in human DNA may aggravate autism symptoms

by  /  21 April 2014

Certain DNA repeats that increased exponentially during human evolution are directly related to the severity of autism symptoms, according to a preliminary study published 20 March in PLoS Genetics.

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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

Emerging importance of chromatin in autism risk

by ,  /  18 March 2014

Sequencing studies over the past few years have made a dramatic and unexpected discovery: Many of the mutations in individuals with autism are in genes that regulate chromatin, which helps package DNA in the cell nucleus, say Gerald Crabtree and Aryaman Shalizi.

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December 2013

Understanding contradictory connectivity reports in autism

by ,  /  10 December 2013

Studies at the level of neural circuits are needed to better understand the importance of both increased and decreased connectivity between different regions in the autism brain, say John Rubenstein and Vikaas Sohal.

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November 2013

Close look at autism-linked region reveals complex biology

by  /  27 November 2013

Deletion and duplication of the 16p11.2 chromosomal region have opposite effects on brain size, but produce similar alterations in the brain’s processing of sound. Researchers reported these and other unpublished findings at the 2013 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego, painting a complex picture of the region’s role in autism.

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SfN 2013 comes to a close

by  /  18 November 2013

A packed week of research at the 2013 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego brought a flurry of breaking news and a creative combination of emerging research tools.

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Neurons made from people with autism show distinct markers

by  /  12 November 2013

Researchers have created neurons from the skin cells of children with autism, according to an unpublished study presented Monday at the 2013 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego. These neurons show several distinct features, including elevated markers of inhibitory signaling.

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Study traces link between social behavior, brain overgrowth

by  /  11 November 2013

Social difficulties and early overgrowth of the brain are trademarks of autism, yet a direct connection between the two has been elusive. One group of researchers may have found a link between the two symptoms and a way to treat both at once, they reported Sunday at the 2013 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.
 

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