Signs & Symptoms

Researchers have used the gene-editing tool CRISPR to disable the MECP2 gene in marmoset embryos. The six such marmosets created seem to recapitulate aspects of Rett syndrome.

Delivery by cesarean section leads to subtle brain and behavioral alterations in mice, particularly those delivered prematurely.

Researchers have created an animated monkey avatar that makes realistic facial expressions — and that may yield insight into how autistic people interpret facial expressions.

A tiny chunk of the brain’s emotion enter, the amygdala, is enlarged in some autistic children; the larger this piece, the more anxious and depressed the child is likely to be.

Autism and epileptic seizures often go hand in hand. What explains the overlap, and what does it reveal about autism’s origins?

A single seizure early in life leads to enduring behavioral problems, including diminished sociability, in mice.

Mouse models of two genetic conditions related to autism show abnormalities in their movement patterns.

Injecting cells called interneurons into the brains of a mouse model of autism restores typical social behavior. But the reason for this effect is a puzzle.