The post Spotted around the web: Week of 12 November 2018 appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

A new database displays gene-expression patterns in individual cells of the developing mouse cerebellum over time1. The tool may provide clues to how the cerebellum develops differently in people with conditions such as autism. The cerebellum is involved in motor coordination, language and social in…

The autism gene TBR1 controls the expression of several other candidate genes that govern the architecture of the cerebral cortex, the brain’s outer section, a new study suggests1. TBR1 is among a select set of genes with strong ties to autism. The new findings explain that connection: Mutations in …

In 1997, a Stanford University neuroscientist wrote a letter to his colleagues. He signed the letter with his birth name, Barbara Barres, but made it clear that from now on he wished to be known as Ben. “Whenever I think about changing my gender role, I am flooded with feelings of relief,” he wrote.…

The first monkey with a mutation in SHANK3, a top autism gene, is nearly 3 years old1. It spends its days circling its cage rather than interacting with other monkeys. The monkey lacks SHANK3 in only some of its cells — and yet shows traits reminiscent of autism, including social disinterest and rep…

In science-fiction movies such as “Star Wars” and “WALL-E,” futuristic robots engage in smooth social interaction and even fall in love. These Hollywood depictions remain a fantasy, but a growing number of robots with limited skills, from Roomba vacuum cleaners to the Amazon Echo personal assistants…

San Diego, California, seemed a little quieter late last week after thousands of neuroscientists headed home from the 48th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN). Over five days, attendees had consumed thousands of posters, talks and other presentations, along with countless cups of co…

Two studies published in the past two months provide new clues to when and how a brain region called the cerebellum contributes to features of autism1,2. Specifically, the cerebellum is involved in early life in developing cognitive and social abilities, the findings show. The cerebellum has traditi…

A protective molecular tag on neurons can prevent microglia, the brain’s immune cells, from trimming away their connections with other neurons. The unpublished findings, presented Sunday at the 2015 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Chicago, reveal how microglia may target or ignore certain…

An inexpensive, noninvasive method has found evidence that babies in The Gambia and in the U.K. show subtle differences in their social brain development. The researchers are using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to study how the infant brain responds to social information. They presen…