A new study points to a possible link between inflammation in the womb, brain overgrowth and the behavioral impairments seen in autism.
 

Varying the number of copies of a single autism-linked gene modulates social behavior and aggression in mice, according to unpublished results presented yesterday at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Mice born to older males with mutations in PAX6 — a gene involved in brain development — vocalize less than those with younger dads. The unpublished findings, presented today at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C., suggest how genes and paternal age can work together to trigger symptoms.

Infection with group B streptococcus bacteria in pregnant rats triggers brain abnormalities and autism-like behaviors in their pups — especially in males. Researchers presented the unpublished results today at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Do mice use their high-pitched vocalizations to communicate, just as people use speech? It’s not likely, according to an unpublished study of deaf mice presented yesterday at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Lowering the levels of a certain ion channel reverses autism-like behaviors in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome, according to unpublished results presented yesterday at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Birdsong is a valuable tool for studying language, and mice are the models of choice for genetic manipulation of behavior. Together, birds and mice can yield unparalleled insights into human language, suggests unpublished research presented yesterday at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Children later diagnosed with autism understand different types of words at 12 months of age than their typically developing peers, according to unpublished research presented Tuesday at the Autism Consortium Research Symposium in Boston.

As the number of autism rodent models climbs, it is a good time for the field to step back and consider the best practices for assessing autism-like symptoms in rodents, says Jacqueline Crawley.

To understand the role of FOXP2, a gene that links autism and language, researchers should look at its partner genes and at language models such as songbirds, say Genevieve Konopka and Todd Roberts.