Eyes hold clues for treating severe autism more effectively
Tracking eye movement and pupil dilation in those with level 3 Autism helped assess true language abilities.... Read More...
Autism
Research articles covering work related to austism spectrum disorders are provided below.
Mouse study finds BPA exposure has transgenerational effects on gene linked to autism
Exposure to BPA appears to have a transgenerational effect on autism risk. Mice whose great grandmothers were exposed to BPA during pregnancy exhibited social behavioral deficits associated with ASD. ... Read More...
Autism linked to less empathy in general population, but that may not be a bad thing
Findings provide new evidence that autism is linked to lower empathy in the general population, and atypical empathy in ASD is not simply due to alexithymia, or emotional blindness. Researchers stress that the lack of empathy may not always be a negative quality.... Read More...
Exercise fine-tunes brain’s connections, eases autism spectrum disorder in mouse model
Participating in exercise improved synaptic pruning in mouse models of autism. The study also found microglia dependant synaptic pruning is impaired by maternal inflammation, which has been previously connected to the development of ASD. ... Read More...
Classification system based on co-occurring conditions may provide insight into autism
Gastrointestinal and immune disorders, along with sleep disruptions and seizures often co-occur at similar points of time in those diagnosed under the autism spectrum. Analyzing patterns in diagnosis of co-occurring medical conditions allowed for the identification of three subtypes of children with ASD. The findings could provide new insight into the mechanics of ASD.... Read More...
Gut bacteria influence autism-like behaviors in mice
Using germ-free mouse models, researchers transplanted fecal bacteria from children on the autism spectrum and neurotypical children. Mice who received the transplants from the ASD cohort began to exhibit autism-like behaviors, whereas the mice who received transplants from typically developing children did not. Additionally, the mice showed altered gene expression in their brains and differences in types of metabolites present. In particular, the ASD mice had lower levels of 5AV and taurine. Findings suggest gut microbiota regulates autism-like behaviors via the production of neuroactive metabolites, providing further evidence for the gut-brain axis connection to the pathology of autism.... Read More...
Research confirms gut-brain connection in autism
Genetic mutations, which occur in both the brain and gut, could be a main cause of autism. Using mouse models of ASD, researchers discovered the neuroligin-3 R451C mutation affects neural communication in the brain and causes dysfunction in the gut. The findings strengthen the gut-brain hypothesis of autism.... Read More...
Early statin treatment may help children with Fragile X
Lovastatin, a common statin usually prescribed to control cholesterol, corrected learning and memory deficits associated with Fragile X syndrome in rodent models. ... Read More...
‘Mindreading’ neurons capable of having expectations about the behavior of the others
Simulation neurons found in the amygdala allow animals to reconstruct the mental state of social partners and predict intentions. Dysfunction in these newly identified neurons may be involved in disorders associated with social behavioral problems, such as autism and social anxiety.... Read More...
New causes of autism found in ‘junk’ DNA
Using artificial intelligence, researchers discover mutations in noncoding regions of the human genome that may result in autism. The noncoding mutations are associated with altered gene regulation in children with ASD. Additionally, the mutations affect gene expression in the brain and genes already linked to autism, such as those responsible for neuron development and migration.... Read More...
Infants with autism risk may be less likely to distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar speech patterns
Children at higher risk of ASD are less able to distinguish between differences in speech patterns. The findings suggest the biological mechanism of language development is less acquisitive in high-risk infants who are diagnosed with autism during toddlerhood.... Read More...
New approaches to study the genetics of autism may lead to new therapies
Researchers will present their latest findings regarding genes associated with autism spectrum disorder in an upcoming meeting.... Read More...