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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.

February 2012

New machine takes rapid, reliable pictures of brains

by  /  1 February 2012

An automated instrument can reconstruct fluorescently labeled mouse brains in less than a day, researchers reported 15 January in Nature Methods.

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January 2012

Social science

by  /  31 January 2012

Advocates of social networks for scientists report that the sites are helping them to connect, share information and solve problems. Will that help speed up the pace of discovery?

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Cognition and behavior: Brain scans yield few signs of autism

by  /  31 January 2012

The results of two new studies support recommendations against the use of brain scans to diagnose autism.

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Sequencing identifies source of mitochondrial disorders

by  /  30 January 2012

Researchers have identified the genetic root of severe mitochondrial disorders in infants whose cases couldn’t be solved by standard genetic testing, according to research published last week in Science Translational Medicine.

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Mapping whole-brain networks may untangle autism’s roots

by  /  23 January 2012

Analyzing the organization of whole-brain structural networks could reveal differences in the way brains of children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders are wired.

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Video insights

by  /  20 January 2012

A new online collection of definitions and short video clips aims to help parents and researchers distinguish among a wide variety of clinical therapies for autism.

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Cognition and behavior: Blinking measures social interest

by  /  20 January 2012

Toddlers with autism do not anticipate emotional moments in videos of social scenes, unlike controls, according to a study published 27 December in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

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Effect of paternal age seen in girls with autism

by  /  19 January 2012

Children, especially girls, with autism who have older fathers are more likely than those with younger fathers to be the only child with the disorder in their family, according to a new study published 16 December in Autism.

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Genetics: X chromosome gene linked to autism in males

by  /  18 January 2012

TBL1X, a gene located on the X chromosome, is associated with autism in males but not in females, according to a study published 3 November in Molecular Autism.

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A good influence

by  /  13 January 2012

Making friends at school can be hard for any kid, but it comes especially hard to children with autism. One approach to helping students with autism in mainstream classrooms is to train their classmates in how to engage with them.

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