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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Author

Maris Fessenden

Journalist, Freelance

Maris Fessenden is a freelance journalist and illustrator based in Bozeman, Montana. They report and write about scientific methods, genetics, health, wildlife and ecology, and the intersection of science and art.

September 2023
Image of a mouse with a lightweight neural recording device implanted in its head moving around a small enclosure and jumping between platforms of various heights.

Lightweight system captures brain activity while mice jump

by  /  26 September 2023

A thin “micro-tether” and rotating connector facilitate uninterrupted, hours-long neural population recordings as the animals freely explore their environment.

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September 2019
colorful clusters of cells

Atlas of developing brain reveals rainbow of cell types

by  /  20 September 2019

An online resource reveals all major cell types in the developing human brain during the period in which autism is thought to arise.

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August 2019
colorful groups of cell types

New method dramatically scales up mapping of active genes in cells

by  /  23 August 2019

A new technique enables scientists to isolate, and chart gene expression in, tens of thousands of cells at once.

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A large neuron

Online platform offers one-stop shop for studying brain circuits

by  /  2 August 2019

A browser-based platform simulates functional neuronal circuits in the brain regions of several species.

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July 2019
Synapses in brain organoids

Database, lab tricks may crack secrets of the synapse

by  /  19 July 2019

Two new resources may aid the study of synapses, the junctions between neurons.

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June 2019
Pregnant woman studies the label on medicine bottle while on the phone.

Interactive chart yields risk scores for seizures during pregnancy

by  /  21 June 2019

A new tool calculates the chances of having a seizure in pregnant women who have epilepsy.

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Cells in a rat brain

CRISPR advances offer enhancements to gene-editing tool kit

by  /  7 June 2019

New versions of the DNA editor CRISPR enable scientists to turn off specific genes in rats, detect mutations in human tissue and delete segments of the genome.

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May 2019
Computational Modeling of BRSK2 Missense Variants

Matchmaking site for genes leads scientists to autism candidate

by  /  6 May 2019

A website called GeneMatcher has helped researchers identify a new gene for intellectual disability, developmental delay and autism.

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April 2019

Scans in preterm babies reveal patterns of brain development

by  /  19 April 2019

Two imaging techniques together reveal architectural features of the brains of preterm infants.

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Women in conversation

Study identifies top tests of social skills in autistic adults

by  /  5 April 2019

An evaluation of 11 tests of social skills has identified 8 that give credible results in autistic adults.

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