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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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The Brain

Charting the structure and function of the brain’s many circuits may unravel autism’s mysteries.

November 2011

Clinical research: Toddlers with autism larger than peers

by  /  23 November 2011

Toddlers with autism who have larger-than-normal heads are also taller and weigh more than controls, according to a study published in October in Archives of General Psychiatry.

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A case for the importance of interneurons in autism

by ,  /  22 November 2011

The etiology of autism may be best understood as an impairment of neuronal circuits, specifically interneurons that dampen signals in the brain, says neuroscientist Gordon Fishell.  

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Molecular mechanisms: Neurons excitable in fragile X mice

by  /  22 November 2011

Neurons from mice that model fragile X syndrome may fire signals more readily than neurons from controls, according to a study published 5 October in The Journal of Neuroscience. The results suggest a cause for the high incidence of seizures in individuals with the syndrome.

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Imaging finds cerebellar changes in autism, other disorders

by  /  17 November 2011

People with autism have structural changes in parts of the cerebellum that are distinct from those seen in individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or dyslexia, according to an unpublished meta-analysis presented at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

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Rett, autism mouse brains mimic human disorders

by  /  17 November 2011

The brains of mice that model Rett syndrome are smaller than normal overall and have differences in specific regions similar to those seen in people with the disorder, according to unpublished research presented Wednesday at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

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Rat study suggests mechanism for infection-schizophrenia link

by  /  17 November 2011

Altered function of a brain receptor may help explain the why infection during pregnancy raises the risk for schizophrenia in the offspring, according to an unpublished rat study presented at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

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Researchers map microRNAs in autism brains

by  /  17 November 2011

Researchers have charted the expression of tiny pieces of RNA in postmortem brain tissue from people with autism, according to unpublished research presented Tuesday at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

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Fruit flies pin down autism candidates

by  /  17 November 2011

Looking at flies that express elevated levels of UBE3A, a gene that is duplicated in some people with autism, researchers have identified 81 proteins that may be linked to the disorder, according to unpublished results presented Tuesday at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

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Video test measures subtleties of social cognition

by  /  16 November 2011

Social cognition tests using videos of actors performing emotional expressions and scenes can measure subtle impairments characteristic of high-functioning people with autism, according to unpublished research presented at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

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MET variants influence connectivity in children with autism

by  /  16 November 2011

Individuals who carry an autism-linked common variant in the MET gene have abnormally low brain connectivity, according to unpublished research presented at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

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