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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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Science & Society

From funding decisions to scientific fraud, a wide range of societal factors shape autism research.

July 2014

The urgent need to shorten autism’s diagnostic odyssey

by ,  /  15 July 2014

With the rate of autism now at 1 in 68 people and climbing, the need for solutions that reach the risk population more quickly and effectively has never been more real, say Dennis Wall and Glenn Saxe.

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Pair of modified enzymes boost gene-editing precision

by  /  9 July 2014

A pair of enzymes improve the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR by providing more precise molecular ‘scissors’ to cut and paste DNA snippets.
 

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Pac-Man maze leads children with autism to ‘good’ smiles

by  /  4 July 2014

A computer game based on face recognition helps children with autism feign expressions more convincingly than before.

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Cognition and behavior: Test assesses sensory sensitivity

by  /  4 July 2014

A new questionnaire may help assess sensory problems — such as heightened awareness of bright colors or loud noises — in adults with autism.

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Cluster of symptoms reveals gene’s link to autism subtype

by  /  3 July 2014

CHD8, a gene that regulates the structure of DNA, is the closest thing so far to an ‘autism gene,’ suggests a study published today in Cell. People with mutations in this gene all have the same cluster of symptoms, including autism.

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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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U.S. BRAIN Initiative may advance autism research

by  /  1 July 2014

An influx of $4.5 billion from the federal government over the next 12 years could jump-start a new generation of technologies, including tools for autism research.

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June 2014

Autism families tend to have fewer children than their peers

by  /  27 June 2014

Parents who have a child with autism often decide not to have any more children, according to a study published last week in JAMA Psychiatry.

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Education biggest contributor to autism’s high costs

by  /  27 June 2014

In the U.S. and U.K., education is the largest cost associated with caring for children with autism.

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Navigating autism’s gender gap

by  /  24 June 2014

The number of people in a study, the proportion of male and female participants, and many other factors can affect research on sex differences in autism, says Thomas Frazier.

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