News / Toolbox
Brain ‘assembloids’ capture circuit flaws in syndrome tied to autism
/
Merging 3D clusters of neurons that mimic different brain regions models the atypical electrical activity seen in an autism-related condition.
Tag: Phelan-McDermid syndrome
January 2021
July 2020
News
Some motor problems in autism may arise from cells outside brain
/
The autism gene SHANK3 is crucial for the development and function of muscles and the motor neurons that control them.
0 Comments
April 2020
Features / Deep Dive
The blurred line between autism and intellectual disability
/
Doctors often conflate autism and intellectual disability, and no wonder: The biological distinction between them is murky. Scientific progress depends on knowing where the conditions intersect — and part ways.
0 Comments
March 2020
News
Sensory sensitivity in autistic people may stem from subset of neurons
/
Mice missing an autism gene called SHANK3 tend to be hypersensitive to touch, which may stem from underactivity of neurons that normally dampen sensory responses.
0 Comments
November 2019
Opinion / Q&A
New family group pursues treatments for autism-linked syndrome
/
After a decade of working with the Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation, Geraldine Bliss has co-founded a new organization to develop therapies for the condition.
0 Comments
October 2019
Opinion / Viewpoint
What Ehlers-Danlos syndrome can teach us about autism
/
Not much is known about the connection between autism and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a condition that affects collagen. But preliminary work provides tantalizing clues.
0 Comments
News
Unusual gait marks mice with mutations related to autism
/
Mouse models of two genetic conditions related to autism show abnormalities in their movement patterns.
0 Comments
March 2019
Multimedia / Podcasts
Spectrum Stories: The benefits of genetic testing in autism
/
Finding a mutation linked to autism traits can have life-changing consequences for autistic individuals and their families.
0 Comments
January 2019
Features / Deep Dive
Why genetic tests matter for autistic people
/
Genetic tests for people with autism are far from routine and don’t always yield results, but the information they offer can change lives.
0 Comments
June 2018
News
Mutations in autism gene may trigger milder effects than does its loss
/
People with mutations in SHANK3 have milder features than do those missing a chunk of DNA that includes the gene.