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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: OCD

September 2018
Photo: Autistic woman Becky Audette lies on a couch under a purple blanket.

Rebooting Becky’s brain

by  /  12 September 2018

An electrical brain implant all but erased the obsessions that had consumed Becky Audette, years after her autism diagnosis. Could similar implants help other people with severe autism?

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December 2017
Week of DecemberDec
4th
2017

Pruning protein; cultural connection; cannabis consent and more

by  /  8 December 2017

A pruning protein reshapes neurons, culture should be a consideration in trials of autism treatments, and another U.S. state adds autism to the list of indications for medical cannabis.

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October 2017
Week of OctoberOct
23rd
2017

Wi-Fi flap; obsessive-compulsive link; brain catalog and more

by  /  27 October 2017

Two researchers balk at talk that Wi-Fi and autism are linked, changes in an autism risk gene are tied to obsessive-compulsive traits in three species, and scientists plan to conduct a census of all of the brain’s cell types.

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Illustration shows a boy gazing anxiously up at a large couch and pictures on a wall.

Unmasking anxiety in autism

by  /  4 October 2017

Anxiety can assume unusual forms in people with autism — turning uncertainty, or even a striped couch, into a constant worry. New tools may help identify these hidden fears.

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July 2017
Week of JulyJul
24th
2017

Edited human embryos; prenatal antidepressants; gut thinking and more

by  /  28 July 2017

Researchers in Oregon edit human embryos, prenatal antidepressants may play a role in autism risk, and gut microbiota are associated with early cognition.

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March 2017
illustration of person with autism struggling with addiction

Autism’s hidden habit

by  /  1 March 2017

Conventional wisdom holds that people with autism don’t get hooked on alcohol or other drugs, but new evidence suggests otherwise.

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August 2016

Common brain signature marks autism, attention deficit

by  /  8 August 2016

Children with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder all show similar disruptions in brain structure.

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January 2016
Week of JanuaryJan
25th
2016

Misjudging monkeys; consoling voles; canine connection

by  /  29 January 2016

Headlines about “autistic monkeys” are missing the point, prairie voles show empathy, and dogs could offer clues to psychiatric conditions in people.

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December 2015

Sweeping study underscores autism’s overlap with obsessions

by  /  3 December 2015

The largest study of people with autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder to date adds to mounting evidence that the two conditions share genetic roots.

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September 2015

Social perception problems cut across disorders

by ,  /  29 September 2015

The ability to recognize emotions varies along a continuum that spans autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

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