Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Whole genome sequencing could help better understand genetic abnormalities underlying autism

An analysis of the complete genomes of 2,064 people reveals that multiple genetic variations could contribute to autism. The work suggests that scanning whole genomes may one day be useful for clinical diagnostics.Autism has genetic roots, but most cases can't be explained by current genetic tests.

12 Oct 2017

Research findings could pave way to new therapies for treating seizures and autism

Recent research discoveries in the development of brain disorders could pave the way to new therapies for treating seizures, and even some children with autism, says a leading oncologist and researcher at the University of Alberta.

12 Oct 2017

Maternal immune activation linked to ASD symptom severity in children with autism

The retrospective cohort study of 220 Australian children, conducted between 2011-2014, indicates that a "an immune-mediated subtype" of autism driven by the body's inflammatory and immunological systems may be pivotal, according to the University of Sydney's Professor Adam Guastella.

10 Oct 2017

Improving synchronization of brain waves enhances learning and self-control

Robert Reinhart calls the medial frontal cortex the "alarm bell of the brain." "If you make an error, this brain area fires," says Reinhart, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University. "If I tell you that you make an error, it also fires.

10 Oct 2017

Scientists offer insight into how the brain makes perceptual judgments

Scientists at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute have contributed to solving a paradox of perception, literally upending models of how the brain constructs interpretations of the outside world. When observing a scene, the brain first processes details -- spots, lines and simple shapes -- and uses that information to build internal representations of more complex objects, like cars and people.

10 Oct 2017

Study sheds new light on underlying genetic causes of congenital heart disease

Approximately one in every 100 babies is born with congenital heart disease (CHD), and CHD remains the leading cause of mortality from birth defects.

9 Oct 2017

Whitehead Institute scientists identify brain/body connection in genomic region linked to autism

For the first time, Whitehead Institute scientists have documented a direct link between deletions in two genes--fam57ba and doc2a--in zebrafish and certain brain and body traits, such as seizures, hyperactivity, enlarged head size, and obesity.

9 Oct 2017

Researchers find surprising differences in first-ever whole-brain map of inhibitory neurons

Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine have collaborated on the first-ever quantitative whole-brain map of inhibitory neurons in the mouse brain. These brain cells play a crucial role in regulating response to stimuli and have been widely implicated in many psychiatric conditions.

6 Oct 2017

UC Berkeley researchers to develop new ultra-high-resolution MRI brain scanner

Functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, has transformed our view of the brain, allowing researchers to pinpoint areas associated with everything from depression and dementia to playing chess and engaging in sex.

6 Oct 2017

Multivitamin use during pregnancy could protect children from autism with intellectual disabilities

Children whose mothers took multivitamins during pregnancy are roughly 30 percent less likely to develop autism with a co-occurring intellectual disability, according to a new Drexel University-led study.

5 Oct 2017

Researchers improve genetic decoding of neurodevelopmental disorders

A result that will help in the future diagnosis of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as intellectual disability, autism or schizophrenia.

5 Oct 2017

Tulane researchers explore Shox2 protein’s potential link to epilepsy, autism and schizophrenia

Tulane University's Laura Schrader, a cell and molecular biology professor and Brain Institute member, received a two-year grant from the National Institute of Health to study the role of a Shox2, a protein in the brain important for development and function of the thalamus.

4 Oct 2017

Researchers discover new class of molecules that may protect brain from injury or diseases

Research led by Nicolas Bazan, MD, PhD, Boyd Professor and Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health New Orleans, has discovered a new class of molecules in the brain that synchronize cell-to-cell communication and neuroinflammation/immune activity in response to injury or diseases.

28 Sep 2017

Iron supplements for low birth weight babies can prevent behavioral problems at school age

Babies classified as low birth weight (under 2.500 grams) are at risk of iron deficiency, which is linked to impaired neurological development.

27 Sep 2017

Research reveals curious pattern of autism recurrence based on gender

Having one child with autism is a well-known risk factor for having another one with the same disorder, but whether and how a sibling's gender influences this risk has remained largely unknown.

26 Sep 2017

Study may provide insights into treating autism and other neuropsychiatric disorders

Alterations in a naturally occurring chemical in the brain called serotonin have been linked to a number of neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

20 Sep 2017

Research at KU to receive $2.3 million grant for studying motor deficits in ASD

While much research has been devoted to the social and communication issues that define autism spectrum disorders (ASD), much less is known about motor deficits that affect the majority of, if not all, individuals with ASD.

19 Sep 2017

Study reveals how cells from patients with developmental disease differ from healthy cells

By reprogramming skin cells into nerve cells, researchers at Karolinska Institutet are creating cell models of the human brain. In a new study published in Molecular Psychiatry the researchers describe how cells from patients with the severe developmental disease lissencephaly differ from healthy cells.

19 Sep 2017

Studies reveal link between autism and severe maternal infection during pregnancy

Two studies conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Massachusetts Medical School indicated that mothers who were affected with severe infections that required hospitalization are at an increased risk of having an autistic child.

15 Sep 2017

Simple new technique could offer superior predictions of disease severity

An international team of researchers has found a way to diagnose disease and predict patient outcomes simply by measuring unbelievably small changes in interactions between molecules inside the body.

12 Sep 2017

Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Whole genome sequencing could help better understand genetic abnormalities underlying autism

Research findings could pave way to new therapies for treating seizures and autism

Maternal immune activation linked to ASD symptom severity in children with autism

Improving synchronization of brain waves enhances learning and self-control

Scientists offer insight into how the brain makes perceptual judgments

Study sheds new light on underlying genetic causes of congenital heart disease

Whitehead Institute scientists identify brain/body connection in genomic region linked to autism

Researchers find surprising differences in first-ever whole-brain map of inhibitory neurons

UC Berkeley researchers to develop new ultra-high-resolution MRI brain scanner

Multivitamin use during pregnancy could protect children from autism with intellectual disabilities

Researchers improve genetic decoding of neurodevelopmental disorders

Tulane researchers explore Shox2 protein’s potential link to epilepsy, autism and schizophrenia

Researchers discover new class of molecules that may protect brain from injury or diseases

Iron supplements for low birth weight babies can prevent behavioral problems at school age

Research reveals curious pattern of autism recurrence based on gender

Study may provide insights into treating autism and other neuropsychiatric disorders

Research at KU to receive $2.3 million grant for studying motor deficits in ASD

Study reveals how cells from patients with developmental disease differ from healthy cells

Studies reveal link between autism and severe maternal infection during pregnancy

Simple new technique could offer superior predictions of disease severity

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

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Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

Advancing benzodiazepine detection

The Surgeon-Scientist Pioneering Regenerative Engineering

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