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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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Treatments

Efforts to ease the symptoms of autism are beginning to ramp up, with promising candidates in various stages of testing.

February 2019

Drugs that modify gene expression show promise for autism

by  /  28 February 2019

An experimental compound that blocks two enzymes involved in gene expression improves social behavior in young mice.

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brain made of thread shows OCD loop in colored thread

Untangling the ties between autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder

by  /  27 February 2019

Autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder frequently accompany each other; Scientists are studying both to understand how they differ.

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Pattern of eyes making eye contact and looking away

Analysis offers new hope for failed fragile X drug

by  /  26 February 2019

Eye tracking shows that mavoglurant, a once-abandoned experimental drug for fragile X syndrome, enters the brain and boosts social interest, says Elizabeth Berry-Kravis.

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headshots of Connie Kasari, Matthew Seigel, Carol Greenburg, Benjamin Alexander, and Deborah Fein

What defines ‘success’ for autism treatments?

by  /  12 February 2019

Three autism researchers and two autistic people describe how they define a successful therapy for the condition.

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girl in medical setting

Psychotropic drugs frequently prescribed for autistic people

by  /  11 February 2019

About one in three autistic people in the United Kingdom is prescribed drugs designed to alter brain function.

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January 2019
Rat neurons

Rat model of autism shows unusual brain growth at birth

by  /  30 January 2019

The brains of rats exposed in utero to the seizure drug valproate show a significant increase in brain size around the time of birth.

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Gut microbes may treat social difficulties in autism mice

by  /  16 January 2019

Consuming Lactobacillus reuteri, a gut microbe found in yogurt and breast milk, may enhance social interactions in three mouse models of autism.

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November 2018
Illustration shows head with closed eyes.

‘Shock therapy’ may help some autistic teens with catatonia

by  /  26 November 2018

Case reports suggest electroconvulsive therapy is effective for treating catatonia in people with autism.

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Feet of a child on a scale, weighing in at 86 pounds.

Obesity risk tracks with severity of autism traits, study suggests

by  /  22 November 2018

The latest study to show that autistic children tend to be overweight suggests that the risk is greatest for those at the severe end of the spectrum.

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Monkey looks to the left.

Monkey with mutation in top autism gene shows social problems

by  /  14 November 2018

The first monkey with a mutation in SHANK3, a top autism gene, is nearly 3; it spends its days circling its cage rather than interacting with other monkeys.

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