Insulin-like growth factor 2, a hormone involved in fetal growth, reverses abnormal social behaviors, repetitive behaviors and memory impairments in BTBR mice, a popular model of autism. The unpublished results were presented Monday at the 2013 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.
The drug propranolol improves social behavior and cognition in teenagers and young adults with autism, suggest results from a small trial presented Sunday at the 2013 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.
Rat models of autism have a weak and sluggish brain response to speech sounds, but behavioral training can improve their performance. The unpublished results, presented Sunday at the 2013 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego, suggest that a similar approach may benefit people with the disorder.
Mutations in a gene that plays a role in producing cholesterol in the body increase the risk for autism, suggesting therapies for some people with the disorder, according to research presented in a poster Tuesday at the Autism Consortium’s 2013 Research Symposium.
Two new studies examine disruptive behavior and loneliness among adults with autism, generally a poorly studied group.
Mutations in the autism-linked protein NHE6 may block the development of neuronal junctions by interfering with a growth factor called BDNF, according to a study published 2 October in Neuron.
A gene’s length may influence its expression, and this has implications for autism, which tends to be linked to particularly long genes, says Mark Zylka.
Children with autism go to sleep later, wake up earlier and have less restful sleep than other children their age, reports an 11-year study published 23 September.
Researchers have optimized the production from stem cells of large numbers of a subtype of neurons involved in cognitive function. The technique, published 20 August in Translational Psychiatry, could generate enough neurons for large-scale screening of drugs.
Oxytocin may make social interactions more rewarding for mice by stimulating the release of serotonin, a chemical messenger involved in mood, according to a study published 12 September in Nature.