Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Praising people with autism shows promise for producing more exercise

Simple statements of praise may have a big effect on the amount of exercise young adults with autism complete, according to preliminary research from the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute.

21 Mar 2018

Columbia researchers identify nerve cells that drive fruit fly's escape behavior

Columbia University researchers have identified the nerve cells that initiate a fly's escape response: that complex series of movements in which an animal senses, and quickly maneuvers away from, something harmful such as high heat.

20 Mar 2018

New study identifies key role for particular gene in 16p11.2 deletion syndrome

In a new study of one of the most common genetic causes of autism, neuroscientists at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have identified a specific molecular mechanism that appears to undermine the ability of neurons in affected mice to properly incorporate changes driven by experience.

20 Mar 2018

Mother’s pre-pregnancy waist size may be linked to child's autism risk

A new study finds children born to mothers who had a larger waist size before pregnancy may be more likely to have autism than those whose mothers had a smaller pre-pregnancy waist.

20 Mar 2018

Misconceptions about MMR vaccine found to influence usage of Zika vaccine

People's willingness to use a Zika vaccine when it's available will be influenced by how they weigh the risks associated with the disease and the vaccine, but also by their misconceptions about other vaccines, a new study has found.

15 Mar 2018

Songbirds provide insight into how specific neurons may guide vocal learning in humans

Songbirds are providing insight into how a specific set of neurons may guide the learning of vocal behaviors in humans.

15 Mar 2018

Transplanting enhanced interneurons restores brain rhythms in mouse model of Alzheimer’s

Like a great orchestra, your brain relies on the perfect coordination of many elements to function properly. And if one of those elements is out of sync, it affects the entire ensemble. In Alzheimer's disease, for instance, damage to specific neurons can alter brainwave rhythms and cause a loss of cognitive functions.

15 Mar 2018

UH researchers improve understanding of autism spectrum disorders

Two University of Houston scientists are reporting that defects in a portion of the brain's hippocampus, called the dentate gyrus, is regulated by the nuclear receptor LXRβ (Liver X receptor Beta). The dentate gyrus, or DG, is responsible for emotion and memory and is known to be involved in autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

15 Mar 2018

School, body-image pressure, and worries affect young girls' mental health

More and more young girls seek help for mental problems. "Generally, girls take things more seriously than boys. This applies to school, friends, and family," says researcher Anders Bakken.

14 Mar 2018

Researchers identify B immune cells that promote axon myelination in developing neurons

Neurons are specialized cells of the nervous system that communicate using electrical signals, which propagate down long, wire-like projections called axons. The conduction of these signals requires myelin, a fatty substance that surrounds axons in much the same way that plastic coating surrounds an electrical wire.

13 Mar 2018

Moderate facebook use linked to happiness among adults with ASD

Among adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a new study has shown that those who use Facebook, in moderation, are happier than those who do not.

13 Mar 2018

We may be genetically wired to be empathic finds study

According to a new study, the level of empathy we display may not be a result of our experiences and upbringing alone but also genetic. Researchers from Cambridge studied and made this novel discovery that appeared in the latest issue of the journal Translational Psychiatry.

12 Mar 2018

Researchers report genomic sequencing of 250,000 developmental cells

Researchers from the global Human Cell Atlas Consortium report that they have sequenced a quarter of a million separate cells that are of importance for early development of organs such as the liver, skin and kidneys. Sten Linnarsson at Karolinska Institutet is participating in the project.

9 Mar 2018

How Medicaid became a go-to funder for schools

Gerardo Alejandrez used to punch classmates, throw chairs and curse at his teachers, conduct that forced him to switch from school to school. "I had a lot of anger issues," the 16-year-old said recently.

9 Mar 2018

Study pinpoints gene that plays direct role in neurodevelopmental disorders

A study led by researchers at McMaster University has pinpointed a gene that is responsible for neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism.

5 Mar 2018

Research investigates how the brain makes predictions

Goethe University Frankfurt can boast another EU-funded research project: With the appointment of Yee Lee Shing as Chair of Developmental Psychology her PIVOTAL research project has accompanied her to Frankfurt. Professor Shing's research work investigates how the brain makes predictions.

5 Mar 2018

Comprehensive computer models accurately capture diversity of neurons

The Allen Institute for Brain Science has produced the first comprehensive, publicly available database of predictive neuron models, along with their corresponding data.

2 Mar 2018

UTSA professor leads new behavioral research on pediatric feeding disorders

Bryant Silbaugh, assistant professor of special education in The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching, leads innovative behavioral research on pediatric feeding disorders in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

2 Mar 2018

Omega fatty acid supplements may improve ASD symptoms in toddlers born preterm, study shows

Researchers from Nationwide Children's Hospital have shown that omega fatty acid supplements may improve autism spectrum disorder symptoms in toddlers who were born very preterm (more than 11 weeks early). The study was published recently in the Journal of Nutrition.

1 Mar 2018

Activation of pregnant mother's immune system can affect baby's brain development, study reveals

A landmark study published in the Journal of Neuroscience on February 26 reveals that activation of a pregnant mother's immune system can affect her baby's brain development.

28 Feb 2018