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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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Signs & Symptoms

Autism’s core symptoms accompany a constellation of subtle signs that scientists are just beginning to unmask.

June 2011

Molecular mechanisms: Mouse model supports role for SHANK3 in autism

by  /  3 June 2011

Mice with a mutation in SHANK3, a leading autism candidate gene, show moderate social defects, including less-than-normal interest in other mice. The findings, published 27 May in Cell, suggest that mutations in different sites on the gene can lead to different behaviors. This paper was retracted on 17 January 2013. Associate director of research Alan Packer discusses the implications of the retraction here.

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Schizophrenia gene directs two autism genes at synapse

by  /  2 June 2011

A new study provides the first functional link between the schizophrenia risk gene DISC1 and two candidate genes for autism. DISC1 significantly alters expression of NRXN1 and NRXN2 at key phases of development, according to a brief report in the June issue of Molecular Psychiatry.

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Young man climbs steeply rising chart

Clinical research: Autism rates in adults higher than suspected

by  /  1 June 2011

A large population survey in England finds many adults with undiagnosed autism, bringing the disorder’s prevalence in adults to 1 in 100, approximately the same rate as in children, according to a report in May in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

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Complex mathematics simplifies brain imaging

by  /  1 June 2011

A complex mathematical technique can improve the sensitivity of experiments that rely on brain imaging, allowing researchers to study how the brain responds to sequences of stimuli, according to a study published in the June issue of NeuroImage.

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May 2011

Boy talk

by  /  31 May 2011

Female-to-male transsexuals show more traits associated with autism than typical males or females, though the reasons for this link remain unclear.

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Molecular mechanisms: Placenta influences brain development

by  /  31 May 2011

The placenta regulates the levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brains of mice at a key stage in embryonic development, according to a study published 21 April in Nature. The results suggest that the fetal environment can influence the long-term mental health of children, including whether they later develop autism or schizophrenia.

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New York program fulfills promise of inclusive education

by  /  30 May 2011

An innovative academic program in New York City public schools is successfully educating children with high-functioning autism alongside their unaffected peers.

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Cognition and behavior: Drug enhances social learning

by  /  27 May 2011

A compound that activates a pathway related to learning and memory can enhance pair-bonding between prairie voles, according to a study published 7 April in Biological Psychiatry. Enhancing social learning — an individual’s response to social cues — during development could help treat autism.

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Molecular mechanisms: Gene linked to autism and epilepsy

by  /  25 May 2011

Harmful mutations in a gene that regulates the chemical environment outside of neurons are associated with both autism and epilepsy, according to a study published 31 March in Neurobiology of Disease.

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New tool links gene to function in zebrafish

by  /  25 May 2011

Researchers have devised a way to inactivate genes in zebrafish embryos, creating a collection of hundreds of mutant fish lines in which gene function can be explored. The technique was published online 8 May in Nature Methods.

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