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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 2013

Molecular mechanisms: Study links excess protein to autism

by  /  20 February 2013

Elevated levels of EIF4E, which plays a key role in protein synthesis, lead to autism-like behaviors and abnormal neuronal signaling in mice, according to a study published 17 January in Nature.

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Conceptual illustration of many-branched neurons firing.

Cognition and behavior: Supplement keeps Rett mice healthy

by  /  19 February 2013

Treating mice that model Rett syndrome with acetyl-L-carnitine delays the onset of symptoms until adulthood, according to a study published 5 December in PLoS One.

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Controversial study touts blood pressure drug for autism

by  /  18 February 2013

Bumetanide, a drug that’s long been used to treat high blood pressure, modestly improves social behaviors in children with mild forms of autism, according to the results of a small trial published in December in Translational Psychiatry.

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Optimal outcome

by  /  15 February 2013

Some children classified as having autism outgrow their diagnosis, but it’s not yet clear why this group does better, says Cathy Lord.

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Genetics: Link between melatonin and autism remains elusive

by  /  15 February 2013

Some Chinese individuals with autism have rare mutations that may disrupt the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep, according to a study published 17 January in PLoS One.

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Andrew Meltzoff & Patricia Kuhl: Joint attention to mind

by  /  11 February 2013

Husband and wife research team Andrew Meltzoff and Patricia Kuhl have shown that learning is a fundamentally social process, beginning in early infancy.

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How does culture affect autism treatment?

by  /  11 February 2013

Helen McCabe reports that China’s political and economic climate affects the quality of autism interventions. How do culture and policy affect autism treatment in other countries?

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Flexible brain

by  /  8 February 2013

Transcranial magnetic stimulation may provide a noninvasive approach to studying how connections in the human brain change in response to new information, and how that process is altered in autism, says Lindsay Oberman.

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Robots could fill in for autism therapists

by  /  6 February 2013

Robots may be able to help treat children with autism when qualified therapists aren’t available, according to a study published 3 December in IEEE Translational Neural Systems Rehabilitation Engingeering.

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Students in classroom in China.

China’s growing awareness of treatments for autism

by  /  5 February 2013

Helen McCabe’s analysis of autism interventions in China underscores the need to provide information on evidence-based treatments to parents and teachers.

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