New standards for animal studies, including an emphasis on replicating results and the publication of negative findings, are vital for research progress, says Jacqueline Crawley.

Activating the expression of FMR1, the gene mutated in fragile X syndrome, in adult mice reverses symptoms of the syndrome, according to a poster presented Monday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

Researchers in Japan have completed the first step in creating transgenic monkey models of autism, according to a poster presented Wednesday at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

Prenatal exposure to antibodies collected from the mothers of children with autism boosts stem cell proliferation in the brains of mice, according to two studies presented at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

Neural stem cells derived from people with Rett syndrome show early signs of dysfunction, according to unpublished research presented at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting.

Mice missing the autism-linked gene CNTNAP2 have broad defects in their oxytocin system, according to research presented Tuesday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans. Treatment with oxytocin alleviates social deficits in these mice.

A cholesterol-lowering drug called lovastatin prevents seizures in mice that model fragile X syndrome, according to a poster presented Sunday at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

Treatment with a single bacterial species curbs anxiety and repetitive behaviors and boosts vocalizations in a mouse model of autism, according to a poster presented Monday at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

Rapid progress in gene discovery and an emerging map of the molecular landscape of normal brain development are presenting unprecedented opportunities to unravel the biology of autism spectrum disorders, say Matthew State and Nenad Sestan.

Mouse studies of a promising treatment for Rett syndrome, already in clinical trials, offer a note of caution about the drug’s potential. Preliminary findings from the research, presented Sunday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans, show why mouse work remains important even after clinical trials are underway.