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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: rats

June 2021

Mini probe records neuronal activity in mouse brain over months

by  /  1 June 2021

A new miniature iteration of a popular probe enables researchers to record activity at thousands of sites across the mouse brain and track the activity of individual neurons over months — providing long-term recording at an unprecedented scale.

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May 2021
Brown rat mother and pup in rustic setting with burlap and wheat.

Maternal antibodies tied to autism bind to budding rat neurons

by  /  6 May 2021

Certain antibodies may shape neurodevelopment by attaching to and invading new neurons in the brain.

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brainstem of rats in red, green and blue highlight higher levels of GABA.

GABA agonist rescues auditory hypersensitivity in rats missing autism-linked gene CNTNAP2

by  /  3 May 2021

The investigational drug arbaclofen may right an imbalance between inhibitory and excitatory signaling in the animals’ brains.

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January 2021
3D image of a rat with motion sensor nodes on, in a clear cage.

Motion-capture videos reveal atypical grooming in fragile X rats

by  /  27 January 2021

A Hollywood-inspired video tool that captures movement in three dimensions over extended time periods shows that rats lacking the autism-linked gene FMR1 have different grooming patterns than controls do.

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Two rats interacting

Female rats master social recognition later than males do

by  /  12 January 2021

Young male rats can recognize rats they’ve recently met, whereas young females treat new acquaintances like strangers, research shows.

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June 2020

Flexible implant records brain activity in rats for more than a year

by  /  3 June 2020

A new flexible electrode array can detect the activity of neurons in a rat’s brain at high resolution for more than a year.

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October 2019
UBE3A

Rat model mimics communication problems in Angelman syndrome

by  /  23 October 2019

Rats missing UBE3A, the gene mutated in people with Angelman syndrome, squeak frequently but tend not to be responsive to the play and squeaks of other rats.

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June 2019
Statin pill rests on blister pack

Popular statin shows promise for treating fragile X syndrome

by  /  17 June 2019

Lovastatin, a drug that lowers cholesterol levels, prevents memory and learning problems in a rat model of fragile X syndrome.

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February 2019
Rat brain shows implant outline.

New electrode array records brain activity in rats for months

by  /  22 February 2019

A flexible electrode array can record the firing of hundreds of rat neurons for months on end.

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January 2019
Rat neurons

Rat model of autism shows unusual brain growth at birth

by  /  30 January 2019

The brains of rats exposed in utero to the seizure drug valproate show a significant increase in brain size around the time of birth.

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