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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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Signs & Symptoms

Autism’s core symptoms accompany a constellation of subtle signs that scientists are just beginning to unmask.

October 2010

Deserted stats

by  /  12 October 2010

The first study of autism in Oman reveals that only 114 children have been diagnosed with the disorder.

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New tests for fragile X promise routine screening

by  /  11 October 2010

A new wave of genetic tests for fragile X syndrome, the leading cause of inherited mental retardation and the most common genetic cause of autism, may make it possible to routinely screen pregnant women and newborns for the syndrome.

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Reassuring restrictions

by  /  8 October 2010

Only people who already have social impairment benefit from oxytocin, researchers say.

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Multi-gene deletion creates model for Angelman syndrome

by  /  7 October 2010

A new mouse model of Angelman syndrome that knocks out a large stretch of a key chromosome is clarifying some of the molecular mechanisms underlying the more severe forms of the disorder.

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Science by zodiac

by  /  5 October 2010

Research has hinted that the season of a child’s birth may play some role in his or her risk of developing various neuropsychiatric disorders. But it’s the season of conception that really matters, a new study suggests.

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Estrogen reverses autism-like features in mice

by  /  4 October 2010

Two new studies provide clues that may explain sex differences in autism prevalence. Italian researchers have found that injecting estrogen into the brains of young male mice reverses some of the structural and behavioral changes associated with low levels of reelin — a brain protein that has been previously implicated in autism — and the effects endure into adulthood.

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September 2010

Genetics: De novo mutation rate higher in autism

by  /  30 September 2010

Spontaneous harmful mutations are more frequent in individuals with autism and schizophrenia, according to two studies published in September.

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Infant gaze signals autism risk, study suggests

by  /  30 September 2010

At 6 months of age, siblings of children with autism are less likely to gaze spontaneously at their caregivers while focused on learning a new task, though they learn the task just as quickly as do low-risk infants, according to a study in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

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Jokes crack open brain connectivity in autism

by  /  28 September 2010

Telling jokes allows children to connect with others, refine their language skills and develop keen imaginations. Because these are precisely the skills lacking in people with autism, studying humor in children with the disorder may give insights into their abnormal brain circuitry and even lead to therapies, according to a review published in the Journal of Child Neurology.

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Yawning gap

by  /  28 September 2010

Children with autism are less likely to yawn when others do, perhaps because they tend not to unconsciously mimic behavior.

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