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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Author

Jessica Wright

Jessica Wright was senior news writer at Spectrum from 2010 to 2019. Her writing has also appeared in Nature and Scientific American.

Jessica has a Ph.D. in biological sciences from Stanford University.

February 2018
Certain genetic regions in mice loosen their wrapping around support proteins after the animals learn a new task.

Autism genes abound in DNA regions involved in learning

by  /  22 February 2018

The same processes that enable the brain to store new memories may also control many autism genes.

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rat behind bars

Rats with autism mutation turn deaf ear to playful entreaties

by  /  20 February 2018

Male rats missing an autism candidate gene called SHANK3 spend less time sniffing, nuzzling and chasing their peers than controls do.

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marker genes in cells

New databases decode gene expression in brain cells

by  /  2 February 2018

Researchers have generated two new databases that catalog which genes are expressed in specific brain cells.

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child working on colorful puzzle on lightbox

Duplication of DNA on chromosome 7 increases risk of autism

by  /  1 February 2018

Roughly one in five children who has an extra piece of chromosome 7 also meets the criteria for an autism diagnosis.

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January 2018
three mice with one in the spotlight

‘Retired’ mice find new life as top models for autism

by  /  25 January 2018

As the list of autism candidate genes grows, some mouse models of the genes turn up in long-forgotten studies.

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Mice lacking one copy of MEF2C have fewer neurons (red and green, right) in the hippocampus than controls do (left).

Modified Alzheimer’s drug may treat some forms of autism

by  /  18 January 2018

A fusion of two existing drugs alleviates autism-like features in a mouse model of the condition.

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birdseye view of five children in running formation

Prevalence of autism in U.S. remains steady, new data suggest

by  /  8 January 2018

The prevalence of autism in the United States remained relatively stable from 2014 to 2016, according to a new analysis.

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October 2017
Grid of 8 portraits of children with characteristic facial features

Small head, speech delay characterize mutations in autism gene

by  /  16 October 2017

Children with mutations in a gene called DYRK1A, a leading autism candidate, have a distinct set of features, including intellectual disability, speech delay, motor problems and a small head.

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Illustration shows a boy gazing anxiously up at a large couch and pictures on a wall.

Unmasking anxiety in autism

by  /  4 October 2017

Anxiety can assume unusual forms in people with autism — turning uncertainty, or even a striped couch, into a constant worry. New tools may help identify these hidden fears.

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September 2017

‘Antisocial’ bees point to ancient roots for some autism genes

by ,  /  19 September 2017

Honey bees that fail certain social tests have genetic profiles similar to those of people with autism.

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