The Brain

Two studies published in the past two months provide new clues to when and how the cerebellum contributes to autism.

A protective molecular tag on neurons can prevent microglia, the brain’s immune cells, from trimming away their connections with other neurons.

Lattice-like structures that surround neurons may be overly abundant — or scarce — in brain regions of three autism mouse models.

Administering a cholesterol drug alongside an antibiotic eases atypical behavior and restores the signaling balance in the brains of people with fragile X syndrome.

A cellular pathway that helps neurons grow and move during fetal development may drive the changes in head size in some autistic people.

An inexpensive, noninvasive method can track social brain development in infants in low-resource countries.

Experiences may shape the human brain by altering neurons that boost brain activity.

Triggering an immune defense in newborn male mice missing a copy of TSC2, a gene linked to autism, impairs the mice’s social memory.

Mice with an autism-linked deletion in chromosome 16 show abnormalities in their blood vessels and circulation.

Specialized neurons called chandelier cells, which dampen brain signals, make unusually few connections in the brains of people with autism.