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ASD

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Autism Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 18, 2019·4 min read

Brain imaging shows how nonverbal children with autism have slower response to sounds

Nonverbal children on the autism spectrum have a slower response to auditory stimulation. The longer response times were associated with poor communication skills. Brain imaging of the auditory cortex could serve as a biomarker for measuring the likelihood of language impairment in those with ASD.

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Autism Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·September 18, 2019·6 min read

Early maternal anemia tied to intellectual disability, ADHD and autism

Children born to mothers diagnosed with anemia before the 31st week of pregnancy were at a higher risk of developing ADHD, ASD, and other intellectual disabilities than children born to mothers diagnosed with anemia during the final weeks of pregnancy. The risk of being diagnosed with autism was 4.9% higher for those born to mothers who experienced early pregnancy anemia. For ADHD, those born to anemic mothers had a 9.3% higher risk than those born to mothers who developed the condition during late pregnancy.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 17, 2019·4 min read

Some children with autism more able to read thoughts and feelings from facial expressions than previously thought

A new study questions the theory that adolescents on the autism spectrum have trouble identifying different emotions expressed on the faces of others. The findings revealed adolescents with ASD have similar accuracy, response times, and fixation on facial features as their neurotypical peers when asked to infer mental states from faces.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·September 13, 2019·3 min read

Acute cerebellar inflammation and hyperexcitability induces ‘depression-like’ behavior

Acute inflammation of the anterior cerebellum resulted in depression-like symptoms in rodent models. Suppressing microglia helped reduce hyperexcitability and symptoms of depression.

This shows a young girl with her parents

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·September 4, 2019·5 min read

Autism study stresses importance of communicating with all infants

Parents who communicate with their infants help improve language skills and later abilities. Researchers say parents can make a significant difference in language development, even in children with an ASD diagnosis.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 3, 2019·4 min read

No evidence that testosterone reduces cognitive empathy

A new study challenges the existing theory that testosterone levels are linked to reduced cognitive empathy.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·August 28, 2019·3 min read

Autism rates increasing fastest among black and Hispanic youth

Between the birth years of 2007 and 2013, autism diagnosis rates rose 73% for Hispanic children, 44% for African American children and 25% for white children aged between 3-5.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 27, 2019·2 min read

Wearable device can predict aggressive outbursts in people with autism a minute in advance

A newly designed device can give caregivers warning of an impending aggressive outburst from a person with ASD one minute before it occurs. The device monitors physiological indicators of stress.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·August 27, 2019·4 min read

Gene linked to autism undergoes changes in men’s sperm after cannabis use

Marijuana use alters a gene associated with autism in sperm. Hypomethylation was identified in the DLGAP2 gene in the sperm of male rats exposed to THC. The hypomethylated state was also detected in the forebrains of their offspring. Further research is needed to establish if there is a definitive link between paternal cannabis use and ASD in humans.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·August 21, 2019·4 min read

‘Key player’ identified in genetic link to psychiatric conditions

CYFIP1 plays a key role in the damaging effects of 15q11.2 deletion. When CYFIP1 is missing, myelin abnormalities occur. The findings shed light on how psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism, may develop.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·August 21, 2019·6 min read

Is it autism? The line is getting increasingly blurry

A new meta-analysis of autism data reveals the difference between people diagnosed with autism and the general population is shrinking. Measurable differences between people with ASD and people not on the spectrum has decreased over the past 50 years. Researchers say the definition of autism may be getting too blurry to be meaningful, and the condition may be at risk of being trivialized.