Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Special training for teachers may mean big results for students with autism

Special training for teachers may mean big results for students with autism spectrum disorder, according to Florida State University and Emory University researchers.

28 Jun 2018

Study provides insight into development of autism in the human brain

In a study published in Stem Cell Reports, a McGill team of scientists led by Dr. Carl Ernst, researcher at the Douglas Hospital Research Centre, revealed a molecular mechanism that may play a role in the development of autism.

27 Jun 2018

CRISPR technique reduces repetitive behavior in fragile X syndrome mouse models

Scientists have used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to lessen some autism symptoms in mice with a form of fragile X syndrome, the most common known single-gene cause of autism spectrum disorder.

25 Jun 2018

Researchers use gene editing to reduce autism symptoms in mice

Researchers have used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to treat symptoms of autism in mice. It is hoped that the tool could one day be used to help humans.

25 Jun 2018

Maternal diabetes linked to increased risk of ASD in children

The risk of autism spectrum disorder was increased in children of mothers with the three main types of diabetes that complicate pregnancy, findings that add new information on type 1 diabetes and extend what is already known about type 2 and gestational diabetes.

25 Jun 2018

Study: Broken shuttle protein may hinder learning in patients with brain disorders

Unable to carry signals based on sights and sounds to the genes that record memories, a broken shuttle protein may hinder learning in patients with intellectual disability, schizophrenia, and autism.

22 Jun 2018

Researchers discover shared genetic basis for psychiatric disorders

A new study conducted by Spanish researchers has shown that psychiatric disorders, but not non-psychiatric neurological disorders have a shared genetic basis.

22 Jun 2018

Researchers outline a connection between subplate neurons and brain disorders

The disappearance of an entire brain region should be cause for concern. Yet, for decades scientists have calmly maintained that one brain area, the subplate, simply vanishes during the course of human development.

22 Jun 2018

Massive analysis of genomes reveals insights into genetic overlap among psychiatric diseases

A massive undertaking by the Brainstorm Consortium to analyze the genomes of nearly 900,000 people has revealed important insights into the genetic overlap among some psychiatric diseases, as well as among personality traits.

21 Jun 2018

Multidisciplinary Human-Focused Research

The work that we're doing in particular involves the development of better models of the human body. To do that, we need to put together cells, tissues, culture them in an artificial environment so that they feel as if they're inside the human body.

From Logos Biosystems 20 Jun 2018

Autistic teens who are bullied have higher rates of depression

Teenagers with difficulties in social communication, including autism have higher rates of depressive symptoms, especially if they are being bullied.

19 Jun 2018

Follow-up study confirms success of physiological test for autism

One year after researchers published their work on a physiological test for autism, a follow-up study confirms its exceptional success in assessing whether a child is on the autism spectrum.

19 Jun 2018

Researchers understand the role of brain's ‘reward circuit’ in autism spectrum disorder

A pair of recent studies performed by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania represents a significant step forward in understanding the role of the brain's "reward circuit" and certain hallmarks of autism spectrum disorder, namely difficulty interpreting or engaging in typical social behavior and restricted or repetitive interests or behaviors.

19 Jun 2018

Study finds more information about how gene linked to ASD affects the brain

New preclinical research shows a gene already linked to a subset of people with autism spectrum disorder is critical to healthy neuronal connections in the developing brain, and its loss can harm those connections to help fuel the complex developmental condition.

18 Jun 2018

Zika Virus: What Does the Future Hold?

Following the Zika virus epidemic that swept across Brazil between 2015-2016, Dr. Julia Clarke and her team begun working to establish the long-term effects of Zika, and recently discovered that TNF-a inhibitors can be used to prevent microencephaly.

18 Jun 2018

Study: Antipsychotic treatment increases body fat and decreases insulin sensitivity in youth

The prevalence of childhood obesity has more than tripled from 1971 to 2011 and is now at epidemic proportions, contributing to rising rates of type 2 diabetes in youths.

14 Jun 2018

Study provides evidence of link between autism and homelessness

The first peer-reviewed study into autism and homelessness has been published, in the journal Autism.

13 Jun 2018

Special issue focuses on how endocrine-disrupting chemicals influence behavior

Rutgers School of Public Health Professor Dr. Emily Barrett, PhD, and North Carolina State University Professor Dr. Heather Patisaul, PhD, have guest edited a special issue of the journal Hormones and Behavior.

13 Jun 2018

Unlicensed young adults with ASD may have more difficulty in developing basic driving skills

When first learning to drive, young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have more difficulty with basic driving skills compared to those with typical development (TD), reports a study in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, the official journal of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

12 Jun 2018

Our brains perceive wrinkles around the eyes as more sincere emotions, shows research

Researchers at Western University have shown that our brains are pre-wired to perceive wrinkles around the eyes as conveying more intense and more sincere emotions.

12 Jun 2018