A new study casts brain cells called astrocytes as minor stars in Rett syndrome, a disorder that almost exclusively affects girls.

Autism researchers are sharpening their statistical tools to make sense of the growing pool of autism genes.

These short reports from our reporter, Jessica Wright, give you the inside scoop on developments at the 2015 American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting.

Mice carrying any one of five autism-linked mutations struggle to associate a flash of light with an irritating puff of air. The findings suggest that the mice have trouble integrating information from multiple senses — a skill governed by the cerebellum.

Balls of neurons derived from skin cells of four boys with autism show shared alterations in biology and gene expression, researchers reported today in Cell. The findings finger FOXG1, a gene involved in brain development, as a player in autism.

Star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes weave a web of proteins that derails brain development in the autism-like Costello syndrome. The findings add to mounting evidence that brain cells other than neurons contribute to autism.

Nobel Laureate Tim Hunt resigns after ranting about women in labs, and American scientists blow $28 billion a year on research that can’t be replicated.

A new study may help explain why the symptoms of Rett syndrome appear 6 to 18 months after birth. It suggests that the role of MeCP2, the protein missing in the syndrome, becomes more important as the brain matures.