On Cayo Santiago island, scientists track the alliances and power struggles of a colony of feral monkeys — collecting data to generate new insights into the social challenges that people with autism face.
The anxiety and trouble with social skills seen in people with autism may originate outside of the brain, in neurons that govern touch.
MeCP2, a gene associated with neurodevelopmental conditions such as Rett syndrome and autism, has an unexpectedly essential role in mature brains.
Our top 10 papers for this year, based on input from autism researchers, capture the full spectrum of findings — from molecular biology to large-scale epidemiology.
Most symptoms of Rett syndrome stem from loss of the MeCP2 gene in just two types of neurons.
A drug that curbs the expression of MeCP2, a gene duplicated in people with an autism-linked syndrome, normalizes brain function and reverses abnormal behaviors in mice.
As powerful genetic tools identify increasing numbers of autism genes, scientists are parsing the pool of autism into new syndromes, each with a distinct genetic origin.
A new technique creates a detailed picture of of chromatin — the coiled complex of DNA and proteins — in individual brain cells.
Electrically stimulating a particular circuit in the brain shows promise for reversing symptoms of Rett syndrome, a disorder that shares features with autism.
Overcoming profound technical challenges, researchers may be well on their way to making a troop of monkey models for studying autism and related conditions