Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Researchers investigate sex differences in brain structure

Reviewing over 20 years of neuroscience research into sex differences in brain structure, a Cambridge University team has conducted the first meta-analysis of the evidence, published this week in the prestigious journal Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews.

12 Feb 2014

Scientists identify gene linking thickness of grey matter in brain to intelligence

For the first time, scientists at King's College London have identified a gene linking the thickness of the grey matter in the brain to intelligence. The study is published today in Molecular Psychiatry and may help scientists understand biological mechanisms behind some forms of intellectual impairment.

11 Feb 2014

Some neurologic diseases associated with prenatal exposure to inflammatory immune responses

Johns Hopkins researchers report that fetal mice — especially males — show signs of brain damage that lasts into their adulthood when they are exposed in the womb to a maternal immune system kicked into high gear by a serious infection or other malady. The findings suggest that some neurologic diseases in humans could be similarly rooted in prenatal exposure to inflammatory immune responses.

7 Feb 2014

Research suggests that male mice may be vulnerable to effects of maternal inflammation than females

Johns Hopkins researchers report that fetal mice - especially males - show signs of brain damage that lasts into their adulthood when they are exposed in the womb to a maternal immune system kicked into high gear by a serious infection or other malady.

7 Feb 2014

Rare and de novo mutations flesh out schizophrenia picture

Two studies in Nature show that rare disruptive and de novo mutations may contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

6 Feb 2014

Study provides evidence for importance of omega-3 fatty acids in healthy brain development

Monkeys that ate a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids had brains with highly connected and well organized neural networks - in some ways akin to the neural networks in healthy humans - while monkeys that ate a diet deficient in the fatty acids had much more limited brain networking, according to an Oregon Health & Science University study.

5 Feb 2014

6-month-old infants later diagnosed with autism divert gaze from facial features

From birth, infants naturally show a preference for human contact and interaction, including faces and voices. These basic predispositions to social stimuli are altered in individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

5 Feb 2014

Experts identify key challenges in youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities

In a study published today by the medical journal Paediatrics & Child Health, IRCM researchers address shortcomings in transitional care in the Canadian healthcare system. The team led by Eric Racine and Emily Bell, Montr-al neuroethics experts, identified important challenges in the transition from paediatric to adult health care, especially among youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities (such as autism spectrum disorders, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and cerebral palsy).

4 Feb 2014

Brains of autistic children generate 42% more information while at rest

New research from Case Western Reserve University and University of Toronto neuroscientists finds that the brains of autistic children generate more information at rest – a 42% increase on average. The study offers a scientific explanation for the most typical characteristic of autism – withdrawal into one’s own inner world. The excess production of information may explain a child’s detachment from their environment.

3 Feb 2014

Deficit in microglia during development can have long-lasting effects on brain wiring, behavior

In many people with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, different parts of the brain don't talk to each other very well. Scientists have now identified, for the first time, a way in which this decreased functional connectivity can come about.

3 Feb 2014

Study at Autism Speaks shows improvement towards universal early screening

A new study from researchers at Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, shows improvement towards universal early screening for autism.

29 Jan 2014

First Edition: January 28, 2014

Today's headlines include the findings of a new poll, which sets the scene for tonight's State of the Union Address by President Barack Obama.

28 Jan 2014

Prevalence unchanged when ASD combined with new social communication disorder, say researchers

A new study finds that the estimated prevalence of autism under the new DSM-5 criteria would decrease only to the extent that some children would receive the new diagnosis of social communication disorder (SCD).

28 Jan 2014

GenePeeks receives patent for developing innovative algorithms to create hypothetical "digital babies"

GenePeeks, Inc., a genetic technology company focused on pre-conception risk prediction, announced today it has been issued patent No. 8,620,594, titled "Method and System for Generating a Virtual Progeny Genome," by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

28 Jan 2014

American Humane and TGen uncover genetic basis of obsessive-compulsive disorder in dogs

Every year, one out of every 88 children in the United States is diagnosed with some form of autism, with these numbers steadily rising over the last decade. Alarmingly, it is believed that now one of every 54 young boys has some form of the disease.

24 Jan 2014

Research reveals new information about the genetic complexity underpinning schizophrenia

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai today announced the publication of two papers in the journal Nature that reveal new information about the genetic complexity underpinning schizophrenia. These collaborative studies represent the largest exome sequencing efforts to date to elucidate this mental illness, and together found that the disorder is likely caused by far more rare genetic mutations than previously suspected.

23 Jan 2014

Researchers discover new gene involved in severe childhood epilepsy

A European consortium of epilepsy researchers has reported the discovery of a new gene involved in severe childhood epilepsy. Using a novel combination of technologies, including trio exome sequencing of patient/parental DNA and genetic studies in the tiny larvae of zebrafish, the EuroEPINOMICS RES consortium found that mutations in the gene CHD2 are responsible for a subset of epilepsy patients with symptoms similar to Dravet syndrome - a severe form of childhood epilepsy that is in many patients resistant to currently available anti-epileptic drugs.

23 Jan 2014

Scientists update evidence-based practices for children with autism

The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders has released its much-anticipated update on evidence-based practices for children and youth with autism.

23 Jan 2014

Italian biochemist receives Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine for the year 2014

The 2014 LOUIS-JEANTET PRIZE FOR MEDICINE is awarded to the Italian biochemist Elena Conti, Director of the Department of Structural Cell Biology at the Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Munich (Germany) and to Denis Le Bihan, the French medical doctor, physicist and Director of NeuroSpin, an institute at the French Nuclear and Renewable Energy Commission (CEA) at Saclay near Paris.

22 Jan 2014

Cedars-Sinai researcher to receive 2014 Troland Research Award

Ueli Rutishauser, PhD, assistant professor of neurosurgery and director of human neurophysiology research in the Department of Neurosurgery and the Department of Neurology at Cedars-Sinai, will receive a 2014 Troland Research Award at the National Academy of Sciences annual meeting April 27.

16 Jan 2014

Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Researchers investigate sex differences in brain structure

Scientists identify gene linking thickness of grey matter in brain to intelligence

Some neurologic diseases associated with prenatal exposure to inflammatory immune responses

Research suggests that male mice may be vulnerable to effects of maternal inflammation than females

Rare and de novo mutations flesh out schizophrenia picture

Study provides evidence for importance of omega-3 fatty acids in healthy brain development

6-month-old infants later diagnosed with autism divert gaze from facial features

Experts identify key challenges in youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities

Brains of autistic children generate 42% more information while at rest

Deficit in microglia during development can have long-lasting effects on brain wiring, behavior

Study at Autism Speaks shows improvement towards universal early screening

First Edition: January 28, 2014

Prevalence unchanged when ASD combined with new social communication disorder, say researchers

GenePeeks receives patent for developing innovative algorithms to create hypothetical "digital babies"

American Humane and TGen uncover genetic basis of obsessive-compulsive disorder in dogs

Research reveals new information about the genetic complexity underpinning schizophrenia

Researchers discover new gene involved in severe childhood epilepsy

Scientists update evidence-based practices for children with autism

Italian biochemist receives Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine for the year 2014

Cedars-Sinai researcher to receive 2014 Troland Research Award

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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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