Posts Tagged ‘Autism’
Gene Regulator in Brain’s Executive Hub Tracked Across Lifespan
Mental illness suspect genes are among the most environmentally responsive. For the first time, scientists have tracked the activity, across the lifespan, of an environmentally responsive regulatory mechanism that turns genes on and off in the brain’s executive hub. [Read More]
Gene Mutation in Autism Found to Cause Hyperconnectivity in Brain’s Hearing Center
Hyperconnectivity triggered by loss of PTEN gene can be blocked by treatment with rapamycin. New research from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) might help explain how a gene mutation found in some autistic individuals leads to difficulties in processing auditory cues [Read More]
In the Brain, an Earlier Sign of Autism
In their first year of life, babies who will go on to develop autism already show different brain responses when someone looks at or away from them. Although the researchers are careful to say that the study, reported online on January 26 in the Cell Press journal Current [Read More]
Autism Linked with Excess of Neurons in Prefrontal Cortex
A study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego Autism Center of Excellence shows that brain overgrowth in boys with autism involves an abnormal, excess number of neurons in areas of the brain associated with social, communication and cognitive [Read More]
Brain Parasite Directly Alters Brain Chemistry – T gondii Affects Dopamine
A research group from the University of Leeds has shown that infection by the brain parasite Toxoplasma gondii, found in 10-20 per cent of the UK’s population, directly affects the production of dopamine, a key chemical messenger in the brain. Their findings are the [Read More]
Nervous System Stem Cells Can Replace Themselves, Give Rise to Variety of Cell Types, Even Amplify
Team reconstituted stem cells’ “family tree” A Johns Hopkins team has discovered in young adult mice that a lone brain stem cell is capable not only of replacing itself and giving rise to specialized neurons and glia – important types of brain cells – but also of [Read More]
Competition Between Brain Cells Spurs Memory Circuit Development
From the Petri dish into a living organism, for the first time U-M scientists observe key aspects of how the brain shapes itself Scientists at the University of Michigan Health System have for the first time demonstrated how memory circuits in the brain refine themselves in [Read More]
Autism Changes Molecular Structure of the Brain
Discovery points to a common cause for multifaceted disease For decades, autism researchers have faced a baffling riddle: how to unravel a disorder that leaves no known physical trace as it develops in the brain. Now a UCLA study is the first to reveal how the disorder [Read More]
5-minute Screen Identifies Subtle Signs of Autism in 1-year olds
NIH-funded study demonstrates feasibility and effectiveness of conducting systematic screening during well-baby check-ups A five-minute checklist that parents can fill out in pediatrician waiting rooms may someday help in the early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder [Read More]
World First: Discovery of a Common Genetic Cause of Autism and Epilepsy
Researchers from the CHUM Research Centre (CRCHUM) have identified a new gene that predisposes people to both autism and epilepsy. Led by the neurologist Dr. Patrick Cossette, the research team found a severe mutation of the synapsin gene (SYN1) in all members of a large [Read More]
