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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: cortex

July 2021
Immature inhibitory cells surround mature neuron.

Critical time window flagged for autism gene’s influence

by  /  16 July 2021

A transplant of inhibitory neurons during the second week of life prevents social difficulties and a brain signaling imbalance in mice missing a copy of FOXG1.

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April 2021
Two views of mouse brain slices colorized in green and red.

Jump-starting growth signaling reverses microcephaly in autism mouse model

by  /  29 April 2021

A genetic therapy and an existing drug both restore typical brain size in mice missing DYRK1A, a top autism candidate gene, in the cerebral cortex, a new study shows. The animals typically have smaller brains than controls.

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Brains scans reveal sharper boundaries between white and gray matter in autistic people.

Thin insulation may explain atypical cortical thickness seen in autism

by  /  23 April 2021

Differences in myelin, the insulation that surrounds neuronal projections, may shade measurements of cortical thickness on brain scans, a new study suggests.

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Mouse brains carrying CUL3 gene mutation reveal unusually thin cortical tissue.

Neuron ‘skeleton’ may explain impact of autism-linked gene mutation

by  /  16 April 2021

Mutations in CUL3, a gene strongly linked to autism, may cause differences in brain structure by disrupting cytoskeleton proteins, according to a new study.

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Atlas maps distinct cell types during earliest stages of brain development

by  /  1 April 2021

A new atlas profiles gene activity early on during development in the human fetal brain.

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March 2021

Top autism-linked gene has divergent effects on brain growth in mice

by  /  25 March 2021

Mutations in CHD8 lead to brain overgrowth or undergrowth in mice, depending on how they affect the gene’s expression.

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February 2021
Oligodendrocyte gene grouping showing network of blue lines connecting the gene names on reddish bubbles.

Differing gene functions across species may pose problems for autism models

by  /  22 February 2021

Misaligned gene expression maps suggest that some autism-linked genes play distinct roles in mouse and human brains.

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January 2021
In cortical-striatal assembloids, striatal neurons (magenta) derived from individuals with Phelan-McDermid syndrome fire more frequently than neurons from controls.

Brain ‘assembloids’ capture circuit flaws in syndrome tied to autism

by  /  21 January 2021

Merging 3D clusters of neurons that mimic different brain regions models the atypical electrical activity seen in an autism-related condition.

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October 2020

Integrating molecular data may reveal subgroups of autism

by  /  30 October 2020

An analysis of four molecular datasets shows a distinct signature, including changes in gene expression and chemical DNA modifications, in some autism brains.

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four brain areas marked with flags: Cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, cerebellum

Brain structure changes in autism, explained

by  /  15 October 2020

Autistic people have distinct patterns of brain development, which sometimes result in differences in brain structure. Here’s what we know about those differences.

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