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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.

August 2012

Clinical research: Autism common in rare syndrome

by  /  21 August 2012

About 40 percent of individuals with Cornelia de Lange syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, also have autism, according to a study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A.

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Researchers recreate blood-brain barrier in dish

by  /  15 August 2012

Using a two-step process to reprogram human stem cells, researchers have recreated the barrier that protects the brain from toxic molecules, according to a study published 24 June in Nature Biotechnology.

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Researchers home in on dosage effects of 15q11-13 region

by  /  13 August 2012

Researchers are beginning to tease apart how dosage of genes within the 15q11-13 chromosomal region contributes to autism symptoms.

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A white mouse stands on its hind legs against a green background.

Nonprofit rallies funds to create autism-related mouse model

by  /  9 August 2012

Concerned by researchers’ lack of access to a valuable mouse model of autism, a nonprofit advocacy group is dedicating a chunk of its limited resources to the creation of a freely available version.

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July 2012

Parent perspective

by  /  27 July 2012

Parents enroll their children in genetic research studies because of the opportunities to meet other families in the same situation, take control of their circumstances, and validate the medical nature of their child’s condition, according to a report published 11 July in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

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Scientists track adult regression in autism-related syndrome

by  /  26 July 2012

Several scientists at the Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation’s annual meeting focused on the wide range of symptoms, including a sudden loss of motor and cognitive skills, that seem to crop up in adults with the disorder.

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Music’s meaning

by  /  24 July 2012

People with autism respond emotionally to music, they just have trouble expressing it, according to a study in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

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Clinical research: Autism diagnosis stable over time

by  /  24 July 2012

Nearly all children diagnosed with autism retain their diagnosis when screened again at 8 years of age, according to a population-based study of more than 1,000 children, published in June in the Journal of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics.

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Radio implants help study social interactions in mice

by  /  18 July 2012

Radio sensors that track multiple frequencies from devices implanted into mice allow researchers to track the animals’ social behavior, according to a report published 12 June in the Journal of Neuroscience Methods.

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Cost comparison

by  /  17 July 2012

Early intensive behavioral therapy could save more than a million dollars over the lifetime of an individual with autism.

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