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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.

June 2023
Portrait of Connie Kasari.

Social communication and developmental disorders with Connie Kasari

by  /  1 June 2023

In this episode of “Synaptic,” Kasari talks about the need for inclusion in educating autistic children, what drew her into the autism research field, and growing up on the family farm.

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May 2023
Collage of multiple figures on a hillside looking at a large blue book in the distance.

Debate remains over changes in DSM-5 a decade on

by  /  31 May 2023

Changes to the DSM-5’s diagnostic criteria for autism were meant to add clarity, but they also generated new questions.

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A hand reaches from above to add a pill to a stack that is resting against the x-axis of a graph.

Going on Trial: Epidiolex for autism; arbaclofen tests; pain monitoring

by  /  30 May 2023

This month’s issue of Going on Trial takes a sneak peek at some early null results from a small trial of a cannabidiol-based drug for autism, among other recent drug developments.

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Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele looks directly into the camera with a calm expression in a close up shot.

Swings and misses with Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele

by  /  30 May 2023

A careful clinician who prizes evidence, Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele is happy to embrace trial failures, as long as he learns from them.

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A patient fills out a form in a doctor's office waiting room

Medicaid waivers curb disenrollment among autistic young adults

by  /  26 May 2023

Autistic people tend to drop out of Medicaid once they reach adulthood in states that don’t waive the income restrictions on enrollment.

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Research image of oligodendrocytes in mice treated with clemastine compared to untreated mice.

Antihistamine aids myelination in Pitt-Hopkins mice

by  /  25 May 2023

The drug clemastine and other compounds that fortify the protective sheath around neurons may prove therapeutic for some genetic neurodevelopmental conditions.

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Composite research image of organoids at several stages of development.

Genetic background sways effects of autism-linked mutation

by  /  18 May 2023

Experiments offer clues to why certain mutations are associated with autism in some people and not others.

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Illustration of hybrid objects: part light bulb, part lab vial, some in blue and some in red to signify null and replicated results.

Null and Noteworthy: Arbaclofen results; another oxytocin edition

by  /  17 May 2023

New data from clinical trials of arbaclofen and oxytocin underscore the murkiness of null results. Plus, researchers seek clarity on the neurodevelopmental effects of oxytocin during childbirth.

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A father and son play with a wooden toy horse on the floor.

Autism intervention before age 2 may aid social, language skills

by  /  16 May 2023

Autistic toddlers who receive a personalized intervention at about 18 months of age gain more abilities than those who start the therapy nine months later.

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Research image of neurons and astrocytes.

Astrocytes fuel erratic firing in fragile X neurons

by  /  10 May 2023

A shift in astrocyte secretions may explain the atypical firing patterns of neurons derived from people with fragile X syndrome.

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