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Autism

Research articles covering work related to austism spectrum disorders are provided below.

Autism Featured Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·July 24, 2017·5 min read

Antidepressant Use in Pregnancy Linked to Slightly Increased Autism Risk

A new study in the BMJ links antidepressant use in pregnant women to a very small increased risk of autism in their offspring. Researchers discovered 4.1% of children exposed to antidepressants while in the womb were diagnosed with ASD, where as only 2.9% of children whose mothers had a history of mental health problems but did not take take medications were diagnosed with autism.

Autism Featured Neurology

·July 24, 2017·4 min read

Link Between Autism and Pain Sensitivity

A new study confirms those on the autism spectrum are hypersensitive to pain. The new study from UT Dallas researchers also demonstrated people with ASD showed greater neural responses in the anterior cingulate cortex than those not on the spectrum when anticipating a painful stimuli.

Autism Featured Psychology

·July 24, 2017·3 min read

Eye Test Could Help Diagnose Autism

A simple eye test may be a useful tool in helping to diagnose ASD, a new study reports. Researchers measured eye movement in those on the autism spectrum and found they continually missed a specific target. The researchers suggest sensory motor control in the cerebellum that is usually responsible for eye control could be impaired in those with ASD.

Image shows a brain with the amygdala highlighted in red.

Autism Featured Genetics

·July 17, 2017·5 min read

Late Breaking Mutations May Play an Important Role in Autism

A study in Nature Neuroscience reveals mutations that occur after conception could play an important role in autism. The study reports post-zygotic mutations occur disproportionately in genes expressed in the amygdala in those on the autism spectrum.

Image shows a person holding a board with the word Autism written on it.

Autism Featured Psychology

·July 16, 2017·5 min read

Autistic Females Show Greater Difficulty With Day to Day Tasks Than Males With ASD

While girls on the autism spectrum generally exhibit better social and communication skills than autistic boys, they tend to have more challenges with planning and organization, a new study reports.

Image shows a stick and ball model of carnitine.

Autism Featured Genetics Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·July 14, 2017·6 min read

Possible Link Between Carnitine Deficiency and Autism

Researchers report a lack of a nutrient required for normal brain development may trigger a mild form of autism. The findings, published in BioEssays, suggests supplementing the diet with carnitine could prevent up to 20% of autism cases.

Autism Featured Genetics

·July 12, 2017·6 min read

How Children Look at Mom’s Face Is Guided by Genetics and Disrupted in Autism

According to a new Nature paper, variation in how children seek social information is under genetic control. Such behaviors are decreases in children with autism, adding further evidence for the link between behavioral presentation in ASD and underlying genetics causes.

Autism Featured

·July 12, 2017·4 min read

Diet Not Connected to GI Problems in Autistic Children

A study recently presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research suggests gastrointestinal problems commonly seen in children with ASD may be a result of stress, and not diet, as previously assumed.

Image shows a girl holding up a sign with the word Autsim on it.

Autism Featured Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·June 30, 2017·3 min read

Possible Early Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Researchers have devised a new technique that could help to provide an early diagnosis of autism. By measuring a set of proteins in the blood, researchers were able to diagnose ASD with 82% accuracy.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology Visual Neuroscience

·June 28, 2017·5 min read

Why Some With Autism Avoid Eye Contact

A new study sheds light on why some people on the autism spectrum have problems maintaining eye contact. Researchers say that eye avoidance behavior may be triggered by excessive arousal stemming from an over-activation in a specific region of the brain.

Autism Featured Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·June 27, 2017·5 min read

Adults With Autism Make More Consistent Choices

A new study reports that while people on the autism spectrum often show reduced sensitivity to contextual information in perceptual tasks, this may actually head them to make more consistent choices in higher level decision making tasks.

Autism Featured Genetics

·June 27, 2017·6 min read

Mice Provide Insight Into Genetics of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Researchers report that inducing mutation of the CHD8 gene, mice experience cognitive impairments and have increased brain volume. Both conditions are also seen in people with CHD8 mutations. The findings suggest CHD8 plays a role in brain function throughout life and could affect more that early brain development in people on the autism spectrum.