Skip to main content

Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: valproic acid

September 2017
Week of SeptemberSep
4th
2017

Face learning; mosaic inheritance; nosy scientists and more

by  /  8 September 2017

A monkey study suggests facial recognition is not innate, a puzzle piece symbol carries negative connotations, and scientists are using a federal law to snoop on colleagues.

Comments
Pregnant woman pouring pills into her palm.

Epilepsy drugs pose risks to developing brains, study suggests

by  /  7 September 2017

Some drugs used to treat epilepsy may harm children who are exposed to them in the womb or through breast milk.

Comments
July 2017
Week of JulyJul
17th
2017

Valproate ban; hearing voices; adult autism and more

by  /  21 July 2017

A movement to ban valproate during pregnancy gains a foothold in France, people with auditory hallucinations seek to demedicalize the experience, and adults on the spectrum speak out.

Comments
April 2017
A small boy is surrounded by pills, evoking a sense that we are giving individuals on the spectrum too many psychiatric drugs.

Autism’s drug problem

by  /  19 April 2017

Many people on the spectrum take multiple medications — which can lead to serious side effects and may not even be effective.

Comments
July 2016

Epilepsy in family members raises risk of autism

by  /  21 July 2016

A study of more than 85,000 people with epilepsy and their immediate relatives suggests that epilepsy and autism share biological roots.

Comments
October 2015

Vasopressin blocker improves social deficits in rat autism model

by  /  19 October 2015

A drug that blocks the function of the hormone vasopressin improves social interactions and memory in rats that model autism.

Comments
July 2015

Marmosets that miss social cues may mimic autism

by  /  29 July 2015

Marmosets exposed to an epilepsy drug in the womb do not recognize reciprocity — the social give-and-take that is a challenge for some people with autism — suggests a new study. The findings add to mounting evidence that these tiny monkeys offer clues about autism.

Comments
November 2014

Enriched environment staves off autism-like behavior in rats

by  /  20 November 2014

Rats exposed in utero to the epilepsy drug valproic acid, a risk factor for autism, do not develop autism-like behaviors if they are reared in a stimulating environment. Researchers presented the unpublished findings yesterday at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Comments

Tadpole model links epilepsy drug’s effects to chromatin

by  /  16 November 2014

Valproic acid, an epilepsy drug that increases the risk of autism, may alter neural circuits by opening up chromatin, a tightly packaged form of DNA in the nucleus. Researchers presented the unpublished data today at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Comments
February 2014

Cognition and behavior: Epilepsy drug alters rodent gut

by  /  14 February 2014

In utero exposure to the epilepsy drug valproic acid, which ups the risk of autism, may alter the composition of gut bacteria in rodents, according a study published 11 December in Brain Behavior and Immunity.

Comments