The post Spotted around the web: Week of 13 August 2018 appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

A new assemblage of tools precisely gauges a baby’s physiological response to sights, sounds and tactile stimuli all at once1. Researchers could use the system to study responses to social stimuli, such as facial expressions, speech and caresses, that may be altered in babies with autism. They could…

The United States has approved, for the first time, a compound derived from marijuana to treat certain types of epilepsy. The ruling may spell good news for autism research. The approval of Epidiolex, the new drug, will require a change in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s classification of marijua…

Papers in medical journals go through rigorous peer review and meticulous data analysis. Yet many of these articles are missing a key piece of information: the financial ties of the authors. Nearly two-thirds of the 100 physicians who rake in the most money from 10 device manufacturers failed to dis…

The international manual of conditions now includes a diagnostic code for Angelman syndrome — which may enable scientists to systematically collect information about the syndrome. They may, for example, be able to track the effects of certain treatments or the average lifespan of people with the syn…

Neuroscientists have an array of tools for understanding the brain. One of the most impressive approaches involves implanting electrodes in the human brain to record neuron activity. It is invasive but is sometimes necessary for medical reasons. In severe cases of epilepsy, medications don’t work an…

Suicidal thoughts appear to be more common in autistic people but they’re also more difficult to detect. Host Ben Kuebrich reports. The post Spectrum stories: Understanding autism’s suicide risk appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

Children born to women who received a routine vaccine while pregnant are not at an increased risk of autism, according to a study of nearly 82,000 mother-child pairs published today in Pediatrics1. The vaccine, known as ‘Tdap,’ protects against pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, and other …

The post Spotted around the web: Week of 6 August 2018 appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

A new map shows three brain networks that govern social communication in rhesus macaques1. Identifying these networks may help scientists study the neural basis of social communication in monkey models of autism. The networks are at work when monkeys observe other monkeys, interact with other monkey…