The Brain

Neurons in mice that lack an autism gene called CNTNAP2 do not differentiate well between social and nonsocial smells — an issue that seems to stem from haphazard neuronal firing.

The hemispheres in autistic people’s brains are more symmetrical than those of their typical peers, but it is unclear what this difference means.

A new analysis of nearly 40,000 people pinpoints 48 genetic variants that may determine the volume of certain brain areas.

A new technique allows researchers to transplant human microglia into mouse brains and better study the association between these cells and autism.

Blood vessels in the brains of more than half of autistic people have an unusually large number of T cells.

A new technique lets researchers watch brain circuits as they’re being built, starting from the individual neurons birth.

A new resource that traces individual neurons in the mouse brain may reveal how distant brain regions communicate.

Mapping brain activity in one person doing multiple tasks creates a more accurate picture of the brain than averaging the brain activity of multiple people doing a single task.

Genes involved in the formation of myelin, a fatty substance that sheathes neurons, are altered in autistic people and in several mouse models.

Some traits of fragile X syndrome may be due to problems with mitochondria, the cell’s energy factories.