Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

UAlberta chemistry professor develops revolutionary neuroscience tools

UAlberta chemistry professor Robert Campbell is developing new ways to see and manipulate the activity of neurons in the brain, which could revolutionize the way we understand the organ that controls most of the activities of the body.

11 Sep 2017

Researchers develop model to explore hard-to-study mutations in human genome

A team of researchers led by a bioinformatician at the University of California San Diego has developed a method to help determine whether certain hard-to-study mutations in the human genome, called short tandem repeats or microsatellites, are likely to be involved in harmful conditions.

11 Sep 2017

Maternal folic acid intake round conception may reduce children's pesticide-related autism risk

Researchers at UC Davis and other institutions have shown that mothers who take recommended amounts of folic acid around conception might reduce their children's pesticide-related autism risk.

8 Sep 2017

Salk professor awarded $950,000 NSF grant to explore how the brain processes complex sounds

Salk Associate Professor Tatyana Sharpee has been awarded a grant of approximately $950,000 over 4 years by the National Science Foundation to study how the brain processes complex sounds. This grant is part of a multi-national project together with groups in France and Israel.

7 Sep 2017

Structural abnormalities in the brain's white matter seen in children with ASD traits

Structural abnormalities in the brain's white matter match up consistently with the severity of autistic symptoms not only in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but also, to some degree, in those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who also have autistic traits.

6 Sep 2017

Split-brain study using fruit fly provides better understanding of autism

A better understanding of the cause of autism may come from an unlikely source, neurological studies of the fruit fly.

6 Sep 2017

Another way for anti-vaxxers to skip shots for schoolkids: A doctor’s note

Dr. Tara Zandvliet was inundated with calls and emails from parents last year, after California passed a law nixing personal beliefs as an exemption from school vaccinations. Suddenly, many parents sought exemptions for medical reasons.

5 Sep 2017

Researchers identify gene linked to brain damage in pre-term babies

A gene has been identified by researchers at King's College London that is thought to be associated with the types of brain damage that can be caused by pre-term birth.

5 Sep 2017

Study suggests neural mechanism behind contagious yawning

A study named “A neural basis for contagious yawning” conducted at the University of Nottingham suggests that primitive reflexes that originate in the primary motor cortex, a section of the brain accountable for motor function, are responsible for automatically initiating the human tendency for contagious yawning.

1 Sep 2017

Study identifies unexpected mosaic mutations as new risk factor for developing autism

Autism spectrum disorder affects approximately one out of every 68 children in the United States. Despite expansive study, the origin and risk factors of the complex condition are not fully understood.

31 Aug 2017

Human propensity for contagious yawning triggered by primitive reflexes in the brain, research suggests

Feeling tired? Even if we aren't tired, why do we yawn if someone else does? Experts at the University of Nottingham have published research that suggests the human propensity for contagious yawning is triggered automatically by primitive reflexes in the primary motor cortex -- an area of the brain responsible for motor function.

31 Aug 2017

Average paternal age rises in the USA

According to a latest study by the researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine, the average age of fathers of the new born babies in United States has risen by 3.5 years over the last four decades. The study was published yesterda in the journal Human Reproduction.

30 Aug 2017

MIT engineers devise automated approach to monitor neurons

Recording electrical signals from inside a neuron in the living brain can reveal a great deal of information about that neuron's function and how it coordinates with other cells in the brain.

30 Aug 2017

Potential rare gene mutation could act as predictor for schizophrenia and autism

Huntington's disease, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy are all diseases that can be traced to a single mutation. Diagnosis in asymptomatic patient for these diseases is relatively easy - You have the mutation? Then you are at risk. Complex diseases, on the other hand, do not have a clear mutational footprint.

30 Aug 2017

Defect in DNA repair machinery causes underdevelopment of neural network

DNA is the computer code that programs every event in the body. Despite the importance of DNA fidelity, as the body develops, cells grow and replicate, DNA is constantly turned over. This repeated process can compromise the DNA, which is why the body has many DNA repair machineries.

30 Aug 2017

Treatments for anxiety disorders likely to prove efficacious in ASD

A new study in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging reports that anxiety occurring in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) shares similar brain mechanisms as anxiety alone.

30 Aug 2017

New study pinpoints origin of abnormalities in autism spectrum disorder

The origins of autism remain mysterious. What areas of the brain are involved, and when do the first signs appear? New findings published in Biological Psychiatry brings us closer to understanding the pathology of autism, and the point at which it begins to take shape in the human brain.

29 Aug 2017

Excluding children from school may lead to long- term psychiatric problems, study shows

Excluding children from school may lead to long- term psychiatric problems and psychological distress, a study of thousands of children has shown.

29 Aug 2017

New strategy allows researchers to identify potential treatments for altered levels of MeCP2

Having twice the normal amount of the protein MeCP2, a condition called MECP2 duplication syndrome, causes severe progressive neuropsychiatric disorders that include intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders, motor dysfunction and other medical complications.

24 Aug 2017

Variations in ancient mitochondrial DNA may play key role in predisposition to ASD

Mitochondria, the tiny structures inside our cells that generate energy, may play a key role in autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

23 Aug 2017

Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

UAlberta chemistry professor develops revolutionary neuroscience tools

Researchers develop model to explore hard-to-study mutations in human genome

Maternal folic acid intake round conception may reduce children's pesticide-related autism risk

Salk professor awarded $950,000 NSF grant to explore how the brain processes complex sounds

Structural abnormalities in the brain's white matter seen in children with ASD traits

Split-brain study using fruit fly provides better understanding of autism

Another way for anti-vaxxers to skip shots for schoolkids: A doctor’s note

Researchers identify gene linked to brain damage in pre-term babies

Study suggests neural mechanism behind contagious yawning

Study identifies unexpected mosaic mutations as new risk factor for developing autism

Human propensity for contagious yawning triggered by primitive reflexes in the brain, research suggests

Average paternal age rises in the USA

MIT engineers devise automated approach to monitor neurons

Potential rare gene mutation could act as predictor for schizophrenia and autism

Defect in DNA repair machinery causes underdevelopment of neural network

Treatments for anxiety disorders likely to prove efficacious in ASD

New study pinpoints origin of abnormalities in autism spectrum disorder

Excluding children from school may lead to long- term psychiatric problems, study shows

New strategy allows researchers to identify potential treatments for altered levels of MeCP2

Variations in ancient mitochondrial DNA may play key role in predisposition to ASD

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

Advancing benzodiazepine detection

The Surgeon-Scientist Pioneering Regenerative Engineering

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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