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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: prefrontal cortex

May 2016

How dining out with my daughter inspired my autism studies

by  /  12 May 2016

Restaurants can be stressful for my daughter Frances, who has autism, but her difficulties led me to try to better understand and treat her type of situational anxiety.

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Student invention grows hundreds of ‘mini-brains’ at once

by  /  2 May 2016

Researchers are building on the bright ideas of high school students to bring ambitious biotechnology tools to life.

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January 2016

Neighboring mutations in gene may spawn separate conditions

by  /  25 January 2016

Two seemingly similar mutations in the SHANK3 gene have divergent effects on the brain and behavior.

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Extraordinary minds: The link between savantism and autism

by  /  13 January 2016

Some people with autism have an exceptional talent for music, math, art or language. What accounts for their extraordinary brains?

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October 2015

Immune molecule does double duty as social manager

by  /  18 October 2015

An immune molecule that helps defend people from infection with viruses or bacteria may also keep brain activity in check, allowing people to be social.

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September 2015

Magnetic promise: Can brain stimulation treat autism?

by  /  23 September 2015

There are hints that transcranial magnetic stimulation, which uses electricity to change how brain cells function, might improve the symptoms of autism. But hopes are running way ahead of the facts.

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August 2015

Mathematical model of autism bridges brain, behavior

by  /  13 August 2015

A mathematical model of the brain’s circuits shows how neurons stuck in overdrive could produce symptoms of autism. The model may reveal how autism-linked behaviors arise from underlying biology.

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June 2015

Atlas charts gene activity in developing monkey brains

by  /  10 June 2015

Researchers have for the first time mapped gene expression in the rhesus macaque brain from birth through adulthood. The atlas illuminates the expression patterns of genes likely to be important in autism.

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February 2015

Autism gene guides early neuron development

by  /  12 February 2015

The little-studied autism gene ANKRD11 helps to package DNA in the nucleus and plays a critical role in the early growth and positioning of neurons.

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January 2015

Surplus of neurons spurs autism traits in mice

by  /  15 January 2015

Fetal mice that have too many neurons grow to show social deficits and repetitive behaviors. The finding, reported 11 December in Cell Reports, debuts a mouse model of autism that’s based on a biological abnormality seen in some people with the disorder.

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