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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: technology

July 2014

U.S. BRAIN Initiative may advance autism research

by  /  1 July 2014

An influx of $4.5 billion from the federal government over the next 12 years could jump-start a new generation of technologies, including tools for autism research.

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June 2014

Light corrections illuminate a path into fish brains

by  /  11 June 2014

Taking a page from astronomy’s playbook, researchers have developed a way to take dramatically clear pictures of the inner workings of a zebrafish brain.

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April 2014

Analysis of movement patterns may reveal autism severity

by  /  2 April 2014

An automated system developed for tracking the movements of lab animals can be used to accurately map the activity of children with autism, researchers reported in the February Molecular Autism. When given free rein, the system found, children with autism tend to explore a room’s edges, whereas those with other developmental disorders cling to their parents.

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February 2014

Virtual joystick shows preference for personal space

by  /  19 February 2014

Children with autism are likely to keep more distance between themselves and a welcoming avatar than controls do in a virtual reality setup, suggesting that they derive less pleasure from social situations, according to a study published 17 January in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

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Kevin Pelphrey discusses neuroimaging and autism

 /  19 February 2014

Watch the complete replay of Kevin Pelphrey discussing how imaging can chart social cognition in the brains of children with autism.

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Automated tool records behavior of autism mouse models

by  /  5 February 2014

A new tracking system automatically logs and scores mouse behavior as well as a human observer does, according to a paper published 31 December 2013 in Journal of Neuroscience Methods.

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January 2014

Eye-tracker charts gaze of children with autism

by  /  29 January 2014

A lightweight eye-tracking system allows researchers to record the shifts in gaze that naturally occur during playtime, reports a study published 20 November in Frontiers in Psychology.

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Symptom database may find patterns in complex disorders

by  /  22 January 2014

The Human Phenotype Ontology project has assembled more than 10,000 standardized terms for human diseases and the symptoms that accompany them, researchers reported 1 January in Nucleic Acids Research.

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How do we begin to treat autism’s most severe cases?

by  /  16 January 2014

A new research network aims to study autism’s least-understood population: those with the most severe forms of the disorder. Three experts weigh in on the project’s potential impact.

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Michael Merzenich discusses plasticity in autism

 /  29 January 2014

Watch the complete replay of Michael Merzenich discussing how the brain’s ability to change with experience may lead to new treatments for autism.

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