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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Opinion /

Viewpoint

Expert opinions on trends and controversies in autism research.

Previous articles
March 2017

With tweaks, brains in a dish may yield clear clues to autism

by  /  21 March 2017

‘Mini-brains’ created in a dish may reveal autism’s roots and point to treatments, but they do not yet mirror some critical features of a human brain.

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Questions for Huda Zoghbi: Studying Rett in the rodent brain

by  /  14 March 2017

Removing the Rett syndrome gene, MeCP2, from distinct cells and brain regions reveals hidden features of the condition.

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Boy holds tennis racket on court with teacher

Tennis program serves up benefits for children with autism

by  /  7 March 2017

Tennis is a social game, requiring players to predict and respond to their opponent’s behavior. That may help some children with autism.

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February 2017

Tangled web of proteins holds clues to autism’s complexity

by  /  28 February 2017

Understanding how mutations in genes linked to autism perturb the different versions of proteins the genes form could reveal new targets for treatments.

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Animated sidekick connects parents to children with autism

by  /  21 February 2017

In a new type of therapy for autism, parents talk or type into their phone or computer, and their words emerge in the voice of an animated character.

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Why I want to march for science

by  /  14 February 2017

Autism researcher Jonathan Sebat plans to push for policies that rest on empirical evidence and serve the common good.

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How Trump’s travel ban can upend lives of scientists like me

by  /  10 February 2017

The ban could uproot the lives of many researchers in the United States and slow scientific progress not just in the U.S., but across the world.

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January 2017

Imaging of social brain enters real world

by ,  /  31 January 2017

Studies of social-brain function are moving out of scanners and into realistic settings.

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Exploring the hidden world of inhibitory brain signals

by ,  /  24 January 2017

Scientists have discovered more than 100 new proteins at junctions in the brain that dampen neuronal activity.

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Smoke, mirrors and Robert Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine safety panel

by  /  12 January 2017

Don’t let Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appointment distract us from fighting the policy changes that could have dire consequences for people with autism.

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