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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.

November 2013

Resting-state maps bridge mouse models, humans

by  /  12 November 2013

Researchers have produced images of connectivity during resting-state activation, which occurs while individuals are resting quietly in a scanner, in mouse brains. The new technique was presented Monday at the 2013 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.

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Study spells caution for bone marrow transplants for Rett

by  /  12 November 2013

Bone marrow transplants, which have been shown to arrest symptoms of Rett syndrome in young mice, have little effect on older mice, according to preliminary results presented Monday at the 2013 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego. The findings suggest that this approach may not be a viable treatment for those who already have symptoms of the disorder.

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Genetics: Spontaneous mutation links dopamine to autism

by  /  12 November 2013

A newly discovered spontaneous mutation, described 27 August in Molecular Psychiatry, links autism to changes in the regulation of the chemical messenger dopamine.

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Gender affects nerve fiber integrity in tuberous sclerosis

by  /  11 November 2013

Boys with tuberous sclerosis complex, an autism-related disorder, have more disorganized nerve fibers in some regions of the brain than do girls with the disorder, according to unpublished work presented Sunday at the 2013 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.

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Where will the focus on SHANK genes lead?

by  /  11 November 2013

Geneticists react to discoveries and identify next steps for one of autism’s most promising candidate genes.

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Computer program guides molecular scissors on where to snip

by  /  10 November 2013

Researchers have created software that can design customized molecular scissors to edit the genomes of living cells. The program, called TALENSeek, was presented in a poster Saturday afternoon at the 2013 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.

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Online tools sift through storehouses of brain data

by  /  10 November 2013

Just as search engines comb through the vast expanse of the Internet for information, several online resources are helping scientists browse massive collections of data on the brain. Researchers showcased several of these resources Saturday afternoon at the 2013 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.

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Omani awareness

by  /  8 November 2013

Schoolteachers in Oman have a poor understanding of autism’s causes and symptoms, suggests a survey published 22 October in Autism.

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Photograph of a doctor performing a thyroid exam on a woman.

Clinical research: Low thyroid in pregnancy linked to autism

by  /  1 November 2013

Low levels of a thyroid hormone during pregnancy raise the risk of autism-like symptoms in the child by fourfold, according to a study published 13 August in Annals of Neurology.

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October 2013

Vision or hearing loss ups autism risk

by  /  31 October 2013

Children with poor vision or a hearing loss are more likely to be diagnosed with autism than are those in the general population, reports a large epidemiological study published in October.

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