A new probe enables researchers to monitor interactions among select neurons across the brain, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The tool may be useful for studying brain circuits in animal models of autism. Traditional fMRI records blood flow changes as an indirect measure of neur…

A gene not previously linked to autism alters the expression of other genes associated with the condition, according to a new analysis of DNA in the placenta. A placenta’s genome comes from the fetus and has a unique pattern of methylation, the suite of chemical tags called methyl groups that attach…

Lisa Croen’s career took a sharp left turn toward autism research about 30 years ago, when she was working as an epidemiologist at the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program. Until then, she had largely studied the prevalence of physical birth defects, such as spina bifida and cleft palate. But…

Young adults with autism face many barriers to competitive employment, but for West Side Chicago public high school students who get jobs through Urban Autism Solutions, access to transportation isn’t one of them thanks to a generous gift from Lyft. “The goal of our LyftUp program is to inc…

Autism research tweets this week sounded multiple notes of caution — about mouse models, early interventions, genetic associations and leaky recruitment pipelines. First among the tempered tweets, the field needs to reconsider rodent models, according to a new review from Jill Silverman, associate p…

You might not know this but being autistic means we’re sensitive to lights and noise. Sensitive might be too light of a word. Try: they overwhelm us. By Said Shaiye Sorry brother, I can’t really stop and talk. I have somewhere to be. It was good to see you! I don’t feel good about lying inside the H…

The post Spotted around the web: Sleep disturbances, gender views, reading emotions appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

Inhibiting an overactive protein complex restores typical growth to human neurons that express low levels of the autism-linked gene ASH1L, according to a new study. Many people with mutations in ASH1L have autism, often with intellectual disability, seizures and a lack of brain growth after birth. B…

A deep-learning method can detect autism’s “fingerprints” on a brain scan and predict a person’s social-communication difficulties, according to a new study. The tool can also spot brain features that distinguish the brains of autistic men from those of autistic women, according to another study fro…

By: Randy Horowitz, M.S. Ed., S.A.S. and Joanne Capuano Sgambati, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA Sexuality is part of normal human development for every man, woman and child. It is a basic need and an integral part of life. Sexuality is not just physical maturity and sexual intercourse; it is diverse an…

Much of modern biology is built on addition and subtraction. To interrogate a gene’s function, subtract it from the genome and watch what happens (often, death). To confirm a gene’s role in some disease, replace a defective copy with an unmutated version and see if the addition renders a fix. Such s…

A new technique optimizes the production of neurons derived from people with autism-linked mutations for use in high-throughput drug screens. The effort may accelerate the discovery of treatments for autism, the researchers say. Unearthing drugs with the potential to treat autism often involves asse…

Neurona Health, a company in San Francisco, California, began marketing a web-based autism screening service last week that purportedly helps parents determine their child’s chances of having autism. The service — which costs $299 annually and is not covered by health insurance — includes a genetic …

Kennedy Nganga is a disabled artist from the town of Mombasa in Kenya (East Africa). The Art of Autism became aware of him through his posts on his Facebook page. Nganga is a quadriplegic due to a diving accident in a swimming pool at age 16 back in 1992. He has no grip in his fingers, yet is able…