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Recent articles

Illustration of hybrid objects: part light bulb, part lab vial, some in blue and some in red to signify null and replicated results.

Prenatal exposures; Angelman trial suspension; autistic adult well-being

This month’s issue of the Null and Noteworthy newsletter breaks down some negative results involving prenatal exposures, an experimental treatment for Angelman syndrome, and the role that age at autism diagnosis plays in subsequent outcomes, and more.

By Emily Harris
17 July 2023 | 4 min read
Illustration of a pregnant woman seated next to a large diagram of the brain featuring chromosomes, bacteria and other microbes.

The link between maternal infection and autism, explained

Having an infection during pregnancy is tied to a small increase in the chances of having an autistic child, but the connection may not be causal.

By Charles Q. Choi
13 December 2022 | 7 min read
Illustration of hybrid objects: part light bulb, part lab vial, some in blue and some in red to signify null and replicated results.

Null and Noteworthy: COVID-19 conclusions; diagnosis duplication; oxytocin again

This month’s newsletter explores the pandemic’s effects on autism rates, trends in co-occurring mental health conditions, and the impact of intranasal oxytocin.

By Emily Harris
10 November 2022 | 5 min read
A pregnant woman lies in a hospital bed.

Registry review casts doubt on causal link between maternal infection and autism

The long-standing link between maternal infection during pregnancy and having a child with autism may reflect common genetic or environmental factors instead.

By Charles Q. Choi
23 September 2022 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

A figure is erasing date from a chalkboard-like surface covered with science and data related designs.

Deleting data or stopping its collection will erase years of valuable brain research

An explosion in open-neuroscience datasets has created a new generation of researchers with expertise in data science. But new federal restrictions in the United States put their research programs in jeopardy.

By Elvisha Dhamala
18 August 2025 | 7 min read
Peggy Mason at her desk.

Up and out with Peggy Mason

Mason helped define the rodent prosocial behavior field, but now she’s changing course.

By Sydney Wyatt
15 August 2025 | 13 min read
Illustration of people walking over colored circles on the ground.

The spectrum goes multidimensional in search of autism subtypes

Grouping people with autism based on shared features, genetics and co-occurring conditions may improve clinical trial outcomes, researchers say.

By Katie Moisse
14 August 2025 | 9 min listen