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newsAutism and fragile X syndrome are characterized by very different brain processes, even though the two disorders show similar social deficits, say authors of the first functional imaging study to compare the two disorders1.
Fragile X syndrome is a form of inherited mental retardation that stems from a rare mutation in...→
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newsThe absence of a protein involved in a prominent cancer pathway leads to repetitive behaviors and learning deficits in mice, creating a viable model for autism research, according to a study published last week in Neuron 1.
The protein, FKBP12, serves as a receptor for rapamycin, a cancer drug that has...→
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newsVariants in contactin-associated protein-like 2 or CNTNAP2 — a gene thought to be involved in nerve cell communication — are associated with language deficits in families affected by specific language impairment (SLI), a developmental disorder that affects roughly seven percent of kindergarten-age children, according to a study published in late November...→
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newsChildren with autism process sounds a split second slower than typically developing children, according to a new study that measured the magnetic fields emitted from the children's brains.
Although preliminary, the findings may partly explain the language and communication problems that burden so many with the disorder, the researchers say.
"The findings [show...→
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newsThe first postmortem study to examine the effects of chromosome 15 duplication on gene expression shows completely divergent results, suggesting that the effect of genetic duplications is far from predictable, according to a study published last month in the Journal of Medical Genetics 1.
Between 1 to 3 percent of people...→
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newsSome small fragments of RNA are expressed differently in people with autism than in controls, according to two new studies. The findings unveil another layer of complexity in the genetics of autism.
These pieces of single-stranded RNA — dubbed microRNAs or miRNAs — have wide-ranging, subtle effects on the production of many...→
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conference reportA child's language ability correlates with the volume of his or her amygdala — the small, deep brain region that is strongly associated with emotional processing — according to an unpublished five-year longitudinal study presented Wednesday afternoon at the Society for Neuroscience meeting.
Analyzing brain imaging data collected from 24 infants at...→
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conference reportHigh-functioning children with autism may understand another person’s intention when, for example, that person reaches for a glass of water — a simple, goal-directed task — without help from the mirror neuron system, according to research reported Tuesday at the Society for Neuroscience meeting.
Some researchers have proposed that mirror neurons —...→
From the blog: On SFARI
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blogIs regressive autism real?
That is, do some children with autism develop normally for the first couple of years of their life, and then suddenly lose their ability to speak and socialize?
That’s a controversial and highly charged question in the field — depending on how you define regression.
There are dozens of studies...→
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blogThe latest of many full genome scans of large groups of people with and without autism has identified two new chromosomal regions associated with the disorder. The findings were unveiled last week at the American Society of Human Genetics meeting in Philadelphia.
The regions, one on chromosome 6 and one on chromosome...→
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blogEven as I type this, thousands of neuroscientists are descending on Washington D.C. for an annual event that is almost beyond description. An estimated 36,000 people are expected to attend Neuroscience 2008, this year’s meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, hobnob, listen to lectures, present posters and down drinks at the...→
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blogAs early as 12 months of age, babies who later develop autism repeatedly spin and rotate their toys more than typically developing children, according to a new study. They are also more likely to glance sideways at objects or stare at them for long periods.
In the U.S. the average age of...→
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blogFirst-born children of women older than 35 and men older than 40 are three times more likely to develop autism than later children of younger parents, according to a large epidemiological study in the United States.
This is not the first study to make this connection: smaller epidemiological studies have found a...→
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blogAutism rates are higher in states where it rains more, according to a report that’s in newspapers everywhere today.
Say what?!
When you write about autism, and the many avenues scientists are exploring to pin down its cause, you get used to seeing all kinds of nutty theories bandied about. But this one...→
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blogOne of the hallmarks of autism is a tendency to be somewhat emotionally detached. This is of course talked about as mostly a negative thing, but research published in the October 15 Journal of Neuroscience suggests there may be an upside.
People with autism make rational decisions, relying more on careful thought...→
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blogLast night’s debate was fascinating on several levels, but leaving the punditry to pundits, I was struck by the fact that, once again, both candidates brought up autism. Apart from AIDS, I don’t recall a single health issue that has received more attention from presidential candidates.
Senator McCain has brought up autism...→
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