Skip to main content

Spectrum: Autism Research News

topic /

Genes

Rare or common, inherited or spontaneous, mutations form the core of autism risk.

Common genetic variants shape the structure of the cortex

by  /  18 September 2023
A genome-wide association study lays a foundation for deeper investigation of these variants in neurodevelopmental conditions.
Research image of organoids in the forebrain.

Head size parts autism into two major subtypes

by  /  12 September 2023
An imbalance in the number of excitatory neurons in early brain development may account for the difference.
Research image of neurons in mice.

Skewed signaling in striatum may spawn repetitive behaviors

by  /  6 September 2023
Synaptic changes in the brain region could drive a core trait of fragile X syndrome, a new mouse study suggests.
August 2023
Research images of protein synthesis in mice.

Neuronal deafness to stress may add to protein surplus in fragile X

by  /  29 August 2023

A protective pathway that pauses protein synthesis is muted in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome, according to a new study.

Comments
Photograph of a family of rhesus macaque monkeys.

Father’s genes may drive sociability in male monkeys

by  /  18 August 2023

The findings in rhesus macaque monkeys may provide clues to sex differences in the heredity of social behavior in people.

Comments
Position heatmaps of mice performing a behavioral assay.

New test taps nose pokes as a proxy for social motivation in mice

by  /  10 August 2023

Over one hour, a particularly motivated mouse poked its nose 350 times into a hole in the test chamber in the hopes of meeting a playmate.

Comments
July 2023
Research images of a Fanzor protein.

Compact kin of CRISPR discovered across eukaryotes

by  /  31 July 2023

The newfound DNA-cutting enzyme, called Fanzor, can be programmed to edit the human genome and could prove easier to deliver to cells than current CRISPR tools.

Comments
Research image of neurons.

Abundant motor proteins disrupt cries in FOXP2 mice

by ,  /  28 July 2023

Knocking down the gene that codes for the proteins normalizes the vocalizations.

Comments
Research image of interneurons in the outer layer of a human brain.

‘Gain-of-function’ mutation spawns autism traits

by  /  24 July 2023

The mutation increases the activity of an autism-linked protein and leads to social difficulties and other behavioral differences in mice.

Comments
A brown mouse looks away from a white mouse in a cage to its left.

‘VIP’ interneurons may drive autism traits in Dravet syndrome

by  /  19 July 2023

The inhibitory cells misfire and contribute to social difficulties in mice that model the syndrome.

Comments
Blurry photograph of a crowd of people on a street.

Some who lack autism diagnosis carry variants tied to the condition

by  /  13 July 2023

The variants are associated with slight differences in measures of intelligence, income and employment, but the relationship may not be causal.

Comments

Unknown isoform adds twist to theory of fragile X origins

by  /  11 July 2023

Contrary to conventional wisdom, most people with fragile X syndrome express the FMR1 gene — albeit improperly.

Comments
A slice of a cerebellum

Mutation in top autism-linked gene may alter eye reflex

by  /  7 July 2023

The discovery could help clinicians diagnose children who carry mutations in the gene, called SCN2A, and gauge their responses to potential therapies.

Comments