Treatments

Music therapy does not alleviate autism features, according to a large international study.

Microscopic balls of brain and blood vessel cells mimic the barrier that protects the brain from foreign invaders.

People with autism who have a mood disorder or sleep problems are more likely to be admitted to inpatient psychiatric units than those who do not have one of these other conditions.

Turning on a set of neurons that dampen brain activity improves social behavior in a mouse model of autism; turning off neurons that excite brain activity does the same thing.

A drug that keeps neurons bathed in the chemical messenger serotonin prevents social abnormalities in a mouse model of dup15q syndrome.

Exposure to a dim light at night disrupts sleep and worsens repetitive behaviors and social difficulties in a mouse model of autism.

Girls with autism may have more difficulty making and executing plans, and taking care of themselves, than do boys with the condition.

A component of marijuana called cannabidiol eases seizures in children with Dravet syndrome.