Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Gut bacteria composition and diversity linked to human personality traits

Dr. Katerina Johnson, who conducted her Ph.D. in the University's Department of Experimental Psychology, was researching the science of that 'gut feeling' - the relationship between the bacteria living in the gut (the gut microbiome) and behavioral traits.

12 Feb 2020

Study reveals new role for gene associated with autism spectrum disorder

A UCLA-led study reveals a new role for a gene that's associated with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability and language impairment.

12 Feb 2020

DIY assistive technology prototypes can help people with disabilities to communicate

Researchers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County have developed do-it-yourself assistive technology prototypes that are revolutionizing how people with disabilities can access tools that will help them interact with the world.

11 Feb 2020

Microbiome can predict a person's chronological age

Our microbiomes - the complex communities of microbes that live in, on and around us - are influenced by our diets, habits, environments and genes, and are known to change with age.

11 Feb 2020

Neurons critical for learning and forming memories found to be synchronized

The phrase "Pavlov's dogs" has long evoked images of bells, food and salivating dogs. Even though this tried-and-true model of repetitive patterns mimics a variety of learning processes, what happens on a cellular level in the brain isn't clear.

6 Feb 2020

Novela Neurotech joins hands with UCSF to break down neurodata borders

Just as computer scientists developed standards to deliver digital content across the globe to your laptop, neuroscientists are working to break down barriers in data sharing.

4 Feb 2020

Study uncovers more pieces of the autism puzzle

A major international study from the Autism Sequencing Consortium with participation of researchers from the Danish iPSYCH psychiatry project, has recently mapped 102 new autism genes.

4 Feb 2020

People with ASD have cellular abnormality that impairs myelin production, study reveals

People with autism spectrum disorder appear to suffer malfunctions in a cell that produces a special coating around nerve fibers that facilitates efficient electrical communication across the brain.

4 Feb 2020

A collaborative partnership to understand the impact of music therapies on mental health

The Health and Technology District has partnered with Music Heals and SFU on a new research study using advanced neuroscience and functional brain imaging to understand the neuro-physiological impacts of music therapies on improved mental health.

31 Jan 2020

Increased brain growth, mutations and autism linked in new study

Salk Institute researchers have now found a pattern of DNA damage that is unique to brain cells derived from individuals with a single form of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) called macrocephalic ASD. The study, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell in January 2020, may offer an explanation about the developmental misstep that caused this disease.

30 Jan 2020

New genetic screen for Huntington’s disease

Huntington’s disease is a genetic disease that is debilitating and progressive leading to severe brain damage and eventual death. In patients with this autosomal dominant disease, there is presence of a protein called the Huntingtin protein that forms clumps within the brain leading to the symptoms of the disease.

30 Jan 2020

New clinical guidelines call for psychosocial support for complex ADHD in children, adolescents

New clinical guidelines call strongly for providing psychosocial supports for children and adolescents with complex attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Developed by the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (SDBP), the guideline provides a framework for diagnosing and treating complex ADHD in these age groups.

30 Jan 2020

Researchers examine abnormal neuron activity in Rett syndrome

The brain undergoes dramatic change during the first years of life. Its circuits readily rewire as an infant and then child encounters new sights and sounds, taking in the world and learning to understand it. As the child matures and key developmental periods pass, the brain becomes less malleable--but certain experiences create opportunities for parts of the adult brain to rewire and learn again.

29 Jan 2020

Link between autism and poor cognition

Autistic people are often brilliant, but they may also have poor cognitive skills. The relationship between autism and either condition, inside the brain, has been far from clear. However, now a new study shows that poor cognition in autism could be due to the influence of a small gene fragment.

29 Jan 2020

AI could help improve educational and clinical decisions

Could artificial intelligence improve educational and clinical decisions made by your child's teacher, or your mental health professional or even your medical doctor? Yes, indeed, says a study by an UdeM psychoeducator and behavior analyst published in Perspectives on Behavior Science.

27 Jan 2020

Autism diagnosis test is less reliable than previously assumed, study finds

Rutgers researchers have found that a test widely used to diagnose whether children have autism is less reliable than previously assumed.

27 Jan 2020

Prescription drug bumetanide could help treat autism

A new drug called bumetanide, which is used to treat edema, shows promise in treating some symptoms of autism in young children, while not showing significant adverse effects. The study was published in January 2020 in the journal Translational Psychiatry.

26 Jan 2020

Horseback riding along with brain-building tasks can benefit children with neurodevelopmental disorders

Therapeutic horseback riding combined with brain-building exercises can improve the dexterity, coordination and strength of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, shows a study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

24 Jan 2020

UC Davis MIND Institute provides care for those born with fragile X syndrome disorder

Fragile X syndrome is a debilitating genetic neurodevelopmental disorder that affects people worldwide, but many doctors don't know anything about it, let alone have the resources to properly diagnose or treat it.

24 Jan 2020

Healing and hope for families affected by fragile X in Eastern Europe

Mothers and fathers and their young children crowded into an old, government-run children's hospital in Belgrade, Serbia, colorful, cartoonish drawings covering its hallway walls. Parents struggled to soothe their anxious, wriggly boys and girls. But they were patient, polite. It was, after all, a day unlike any other. A day for hope.

23 Jan 2020