But the alternatives, including living-brain biopsies, raise logistical and ethical questions, experts say.

The finding calls into question differences between autistic and non-autistic people on a decades-old theory-of-mind test involving interacting geometric shapes.

FMR1 loss impairs sodium channels, hindering mouse neurons from generating the electrical signals needed to transmit information.

The in-depth approach shows mutations in the autism-linked gene disrupt neuronal growth and communication, as well as mitochondrial gene expression.

Therapies that target the circuit could boost social activity, new findings suggest.

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

An atypical thalamus may underlie not only sensory issues in autism but also difficulties with social skills, attention and memory.

Mice missing the autism-linked gene SHANK3 use more neurons to engage in social behavior than control mice do, reflecting a more disorganized, less efficient brain signaling network.

A subset of brain cells signal when someone tries to infer another person’s thoughts, according to a new study.

A glowing protein tracks serotonin levels and location in the brains of living mice and could yield clues to the neurotransmitter’s role in autism.