Repeatedly activating a group of neurons causes them to fire as a unit on their own. Once the ensemble has formed, stimulating a single neuron triggers activity in the rest of the group.

Mice with either too little or too much MeCP2, the gene mutated in Rett syndrome, show similar malfunctions in a learning and memory circuit.

The brain’s memory center, the hippocampus, may provide clues to features of autism as disparate as personal relationships and decision-making.

A bug in brain imaging software casts doubt on the results of some autism studies, but it’s way too soon to write off the powerful imaging technique.

Researchers have charted gene expression in the brains of rhesus macaques from before birth into adulthood.

Individuals with autism have trouble reading social cues because their brains connect sights and sounds over unusually long periods of time.

Watch the complete replay of Rebecca Saxe discussing methods for analyzing brain activity during social interactions, and their application in autism research.

Statistical techniques and information about the timing of brain activity are laying the groundwork for practical applications of brain imaging.

Network analyses of gene expression patterns may point to key molecular pathways that autism alters and suggest new ways of treating the condition.

Each of the various breathing difficulties seen in people with Rett syndrome may arise from a distinct circuit in the brainstem.