AutismFeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·May 28, 2020Autism severity can change substantially during early childhoodA new study reveals up to 30% of children diagnosed with autism had less severe symptoms at age six than they did at age three. In some cases, children lost their autism diagnoses entirely. Girls are more likely to show a greater reduction in autism symptoms and less of a rise in the severity of symptoms than boys on the autism spectrum. Read More
AutismFeaturedNeuroscience·May 26, 2020Exposure to ‘good bacteria’ during pregnancy buffers risk of autism-like syndromeRat study suggests prenatal microbial exposure influences neurodevelopmental outcomes. Read More
AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·May 19, 2020Gene mutation linked to autism behaviorsMouse models with one good copy and one inactive copy of the MEF2C gene showed social deficits, hyperactivity, repetitive behaviors, and significant reductions in vocalization. Read More
AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·May 18, 2020Autism risk estimated at 3 to 5% for children whose parents have a sibling with autismChildren whose mothers had a sibling on the autism spectrum were three times as likely to be diagnosed with ASD than those whose mothers had no siblings with autism. Fathers with one or more siblings diagnosed with ASD were twice as likely to have a child diagnosed as autistic. Read More
AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·May 15, 2020Group of Genes Have Altered Expression in AutismStudy points to a common gene expression profile, regardless of DNA mutations, applicable to any person on the autism spectrum. The dysregulation occurs in neural progenitor cells. While the genetic cause of ASD may be different between individuals, the behavior of the genes is similar in people with autism, and differ from those who are not on the autism spectrum. Read More
AutismFeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·May 13, 2020Children with autism face higher risk of eating disordersChildren with autistic traits at age seven were 24% more likely to develop weekly eating disorders, including fasting, purging, and binge eating, by age 14. Read More
AutismFeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·May 4, 2020New insight on maternal infections and neurodevelopmental disordersMaternal inflammation has been linked to a range of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders in children, including autism and schizophrenia. A new mouse study reveals maternal responses and subsequent developmental disorders are based on the mother's immunoreactivity to infection. Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·April 29, 2020How could Covid-19 and the body’s immune response affect the brain?Mounting evidence suggests coronavirus affects the brain, in addition to the lungs. Researchers are examining the threat COVID-19 posses to long term brain health. They speculate maternal inflammation could lead to an increased risk of autism-like behaviors and neurodevelopment deficits in children born to mothers diagnosed with coronavirus. Other studies are exploring how the virus may spread in the nervous system via synaptic transmission. Read More
AutismFeaturedNeuroscience·April 27, 2020Vasopressin levels could be a potential biomarker for autism in babiesLower levels of vasopressin were present in the cerebrospinal fluid of infants who later went on to be diagnosed with autism. Read More
AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·April 27, 2020Lithium may treat behavior linked to autism geneFindings support the idea that lithium, a drug more commonly associated with the treatment of bipolar disorder, may help treat those with SHANK3 related autism. Read More
AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·April 15, 2020Autism in males linked to defect in brain immune cells and microgliaAn over-production of eIF4E impairs microglial cells, hampering their ability to effectively prune synapses and leading to autism-like behaviors in male mouse models of ASD. Read More
AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·April 8, 2020Genes sow seeds of neuropsychiatric diseases before birth and in early childhoodResearchers identify genetic variations in the prefrontal cortex during different stages of development to assess how psychiatric conditions, such as autism and schizophrenia, may arise in individuals. Read More
