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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: postmortem brains

April 2023
Research diagram of gene clusters.

Atlas of gene activity in prenatal brain holds clues to autism

by  /  24 April 2023

Genes exert their strongest influence on the brain in the first half of gestation — a key window for autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions.

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January 2023
A sliced section of a human brain is displayed for a photograph.

Immunity-linked genes expressed differently in brains of autistic people

by  /  6 January 2023

Postmortem brain samples from people with one of six conditions, including autism, show distinct signatures of over- and underexpression of immune genes.

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December 2022
Figure showing an analysis of gene expression in cells across development.

Highly expressed genes may buffer against autism-linked mutations in girls

by  /  14 December 2022

Such high expression levels may account for the condition’s sex bias, a new preprint suggests — but not everyone agrees with that logic.

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November 2022
Light micrograph of microglia cells stained with Rio Hortega’s silver carbonate method.

Autism’s sex bias tied to glial, immune cell gene expression

by  /  22 November 2022

The function of microglia and astrocytes in the brain may mediate the intersection of sex-differential biology and autism biology.

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Illustration of multipolar neurons.

Consistent, convergent pathways link two forms of autism

by  /  15 November 2022

People with dup15q syndrome and those with idiopathic autism have similar patterns of altered gene expression in early brain development and later in life.

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September 2022
David Geschwind stands in his lab.

Autism researcher Daniel Geschwind nets top National Academies prize

by  /  15 September 2022

The prize recognizes Geschwind’s contributions to our understanding of autism genetics.

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July 2022
Illustration shows calcium signaling astrocytes, which are star-shaped and change color from light blue to purple.

Portrait of a research field: astrocytes in autism

by  /  14 July 2022

Long cast in supporting roles in the brain, astrocytes are now emerging as primary players in certain characteristics of autism and related conditions.

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May 2022
Color-coded brain images showing reduced thickness of superior frontal gyrus and other regions associated with presence of increased levels of inflammatory moleucle IL-6.

Inflammation may reshape brain regions tied to autism

by  /  6 May 2022

Having a genetic predisposition to inflammation is linked to structural changes in brain regions implicated in neurodevelopmental conditions.

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April 2022

Histone-modifying drug improves autism-like behaviors in mice

by  /  18 April 2022

The experimental compound, called GSK-LSD1, enhances social preferences and reduces repetitive grooming in mice, according to a new study.

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February 2022
Conceptual illustration of female brain versus male brain.

Searching for the biology behind autism’s sex bias

by  /  11 February 2022

The fact that autism seems to affect more boys than girls is often attributed to diagnostic gaps, but the skew remains largely unexplained. Some scientists are turning to basic biology for answers.

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