Increasing expression of the gene that is faulty in Rett syndrome lowers repetitive behaviors in a mouse model of a different autism-linked condition called Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, a new unpublished study demonstrates. Researchers presented the findings virtually at the 2021 Society for Neuroscience …

Hello and welcome to the first edition of Spectrum Launch, a newsletter about how to navigate the uncharted waters of autism research in the early stages of your career. The goal of this newsletter is to provide guidance and resources for early-career autism researchers who are beginning graduate sc…

Dialing up the activity of certain receptors in the amygdala reverses some traits of fragile X syndrome in a rat model of the condition, according to a new study. The finding contradicts the prevailing idea that overactive signaling through these receptors underlies the syndrome’s traits — and offer…

Technical issues plagued the first day of the 2021 Society for Neuroscience (SfN) annual meeting on Monday, as researchers were unable to log in to the conference system to present their posters virtually. On Tuesday, presenters took to Zoom instead, after the conference platform vendor migrated hun…

Prenatal exposure to maternal antibodies may contribute to autism in various ways depending on the antibodies involved, new unpublished studies suggest. Two teams of researchers presented the findings virtually at the 2021 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting. (Links to abstracts may work only fo…

Anecdotal reports from some doctors, parents and autistic adults have long suggested that cannabis and cannabis-derived products can ease certain common autism traits, including anxiety and aggression. Though many of these claims remain untested, research over the past five years shows that cannabis…

Since the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, the proportion of presenters at neuroscience conferences who are Black has increased by only 3 percentage points, according to a new analysis. The study, published Thursday in Nature Neuroscience, compared the fraction of Black presenters at 18 neurosci…

Entering the holiday season, I realized how thankful I am for the five mentors God has brought into my life and ministry. These men empowered me to become the man I am today. I hope to mentor and inspire other young adults on the autism spectrum to accomplish their dreams. By Ron Sandison As I refle…

Hello, and welcome to the Community Newsletter! I’m your host, Chelsey B. Coombs, Spectrum’s engagement editor. As a reminder, Spectrum will hold a Twitter chat during the Society for Neuroscience conference this week. Join us from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, 10 November to chat with your f…

The post Spotted around the web: Heart rate in autism, suicide screening, accelerating gene therapies appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

The breathing troubles seen in children with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, a rare form of autism, stem from dysfunctional circuits and a rogue sodium channel in the brainstem, according to a new mouse study. About 250 people worldwide have Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, which is characterized by intellectual disab…

Recent studies have suggested that people on the autism spectrum are more apt to be impacted by gender... The post 5.7% of Parents Say Their Child with Autism Struggles with Gender Identity, Survey Finds appeared first on The Autism Site News. Source: The Autism Site

The August launch of the U.K.-based autism research project Spectrum 10K sparked a firestorm of negative comments about the study’s aims from autistic people and their allies. The researchers have paused the project while they seek more guidance from autistic community members. “They’re backtracking…

Michael Worthington has over 400 paintings incorporating found heads-up pennies. By Michael Worthington December, 1999. Holiday time in NYC. Unemployed while in the music business, I was walking home one evening when I noticed a fair amount of change on the sidewalks. It caught my attention that in …