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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: synaptic plasticity

November 2014

Reactions from SfN 2014

by  /  14 November 2014

Tune in for daily updates and reactions from attendees at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

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September 2014

Brains of children with autism teem with surplus synapses

by  /  4 September 2014

The brains of children with autism do not prune unneeded connections between neurons as they age, leaving them with too many of these neuronal links, according to a study published 21 August in Neuron.

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July 2014

Robert Malenka discusses reward’s role in autism

 /  23 July 2014

Watch the complete replay of Robert Malenka’s webinar on the molecular underpinnings of social reward.

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June 2014

Molecular mechanisms: Fragile X gene tied to cocaine effects

by  /  24 June 2014

The protein missing in fragile X syndrome is necessary for mice to respond to the stimulant cocaine, according to a study published 7 May in Neuron.

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May 2014

Signaling pathways link autism, schizophrenia

by  /  27 May 2014

Autism, schizophrenia and intellectual disability share underlying deficits in pathways that regulate how the brain encodes new experiences, says Jason Shepherd.

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Misdirected neurons may underlie autism symptoms

by  /  13 May 2014

Proteins that help guide neurons to their correct destination in the brain may be involved in autism, says Christopher Cowan.

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March 2014

No longer junk: Role of long noncoding RNAs in autism risk

by ,  /  4 March 2014

Long pieces of RNA that do not code for protein have diverse and important roles in the cell and may contribute to autism risk, say Nikolaos Mellios and Mriganka Sur.

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January 2014

Spontaneous and rare mutations are key in schizophrenia

by  /  30 January 2014

Spontaneous and rare mutations, particularly in genes related to networks that regulate neuronal connections, contribute a small but significant proportion of the risk for schizophrenia, report two large studies published online 22 January in Nature.

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Michael Merzenich discusses plasticity in autism

 /  29 January 2014

Watch the complete replay of Michael Merzenich discussing how the brain’s ability to change with experience may lead to new treatments for autism.

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August 2013

Brain’s immune cells show intriguing links to autism

by  /  13 August 2013

Emerging evidence indicates that microglia, the brain’s immune cells, are altered in some individuals with autism, raising questions about their role in brain development, says Beth Stevens.

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