Monkeys with multiple copies of a gene called MeCP2 show behaviors reminiscent of autism, but some experts question the model’s value.

Most symptoms of Rett syndrome stem from loss of the MeCP2 gene in just two types of neurons.

A drug that curbs the expression of MeCP2, a gene duplicated in people with an autism-linked syndrome, normalizes brain function and reverses abnormal behaviors in mice.

A chemical tag on DNA that has risen to prominence only in the past few years is altered in people with autism, suggest results from an autism mouse model.

A new technique creates a detailed picture of of chromatin — the coiled complex of DNA and proteins — in individual brain cells.

Electrically stimulating a particular circuit in the brain shows promise for reversing symptoms of Rett syndrome, a disorder that shares features with autism.

Structural changes in the connections between neurons may underlie the enhanced learning and motor skills of a mouse model of autism.

Overcoming profound technical challenges, researchers may be well on their way to making a troop of monkey models for studying autism and related conditions

The same autism-linked mutation can lead to dramatically different behaviors in rats and mice.

A new study casts brain cells called astrocytes as minor stars in Rett syndrome, a disorder that almost exclusively affects girls.