AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·April 27, 2020·5 min readLithium 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, 2020·5 min readAutism 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, 2020·3 min readGenes 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
AutismFeaturedNeuroscience·April 6, 2020·3 min readChanges in brain attention may underlie autismThose on the autism spectrum had atypically smaller pupil dilation compared to the control group during distracting conditions while taking a push-button test. The findings suggest those with ASD may have dysregulation in locus coeruleus activity. The dysregulation of the LC may explain the exaggerated responses to environmental stimuli and fixated behaviors many with ASD experience.Read More
AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·April 2, 2020·3 min readSingle mutation leads to big effects in autism-related geneNew findings about NLGN4 genes reveals why males are more susceptible to developing autism than females.Read More
AutismFeaturedNeuroscience·March 26, 2020·4 min readUS autism rates up 10 percent in new CDC reportThe prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in eleven surveillance sites is 1 in 54 among children aged eight. This is a 10% increase from 2014 when it was 1 in 59. Since 2000, prevalence rates of ASD have almost tripled, from 0.67% to 1.85%.Read More
AutismFeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·March 13, 2020·6 min readEarly behavioral marker for autism identified15-month-old infants with an older sibling on the autism spectrum, and who experience social difficulties, such as insecure-resistant parental attachment, are more than nine times more likely to be diagnosed with ASD.Read More
AutismFeaturedNeuroscience·March 5, 2020·5 min readUnderstanding how the brain predicts could make treating autism easierUnderstanding how the brain decides what it should pay attention to is key to understanding how prediction plays a tole in autism.Read More
AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·March 2, 2020·4 min readCould targeting an Alzheimer’s-associated protein prevent Autism?Reducing levels of the Alzheimer's related Tau protein prevents autism-like behaviors in mouse models. Tau reduction also prevented seizures in the animals.Read More
Auditory NeuroscienceAutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceVisual Neuroscience·March 2, 2020·5 min readWhy those on the autism spectrum are often hypersensitive to light and noiseMice lacking the autism-associated SHANK3 gene were more sensitive to sensation, including touch. The mice also had overactive excitatory neurons in the somatosensory cortex, which may account for sensory hypersensitivity.Read More
AutismFeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·February 21, 2020·4 min readAbnormally low levels of a key protein in brains of young men with autismMales on the autism spectrum have significantly lower levels of a protein in their brains' that plays a role in inflammation and metabolism.Read More
AutismFeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·February 20, 2020·4 min readBaby’s Kicks Provide Clues About Infant DevelopmentHuman-robot interaction and monitoring motor movement may provide clues to developmental disorders such as ADHD and autism in children.Read More
