Spectrum
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Spectrum is the go-to destination for the latest news and analysis about autism research and a springboard for scientists and clinicians to forge collaborations that deepen our understanding of autism.
Astrocytes in mouse amygdala encode emotional state
Exon-skipping approach boosts levels of key Rett syndrome protein
Action potentials
”We don’t expect that everything is going to converge on the same cell type or the same process, but we hope to identify subsets where one can see a refined convergence. — DANIEL GESCHWIND, PROFESSOR OF HUMAN GENETICS, NEUROLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES
Why hype for autism stem cell therapies continues despite dead ends
Perspectives from the field: Opinions in autism research
Neuroscientist Gerry Fischbach, in his own words
Molecular changes after MECP2 loss may drive Rett syndrome traits
Many autism-linked proteins influence hair-like cilia on human brain cells
Exclusive: Who is Richard Frye, the neurologist who researches and advocates for leucovorin as an autism treatment?
Frye has led two placebo-controlled trials of the folate supplement in autistic people; the first was suspended by regulators, and the other has yet to be published.
Amina Abubakar translates autism research and care for Kenya
First an educator and now an internationally recognized researcher, the Kenyan psychologist is changing autism science and services in sub-Saharan Africa.
CDC autism prevalence numbers warrant attention—but not in the way RFK Jr. proposes
Autism prevalence increasing in children, adults, according to electronic medical records
High prevalence of developmental delay strains Australia’s support systems
Home makeover helps rats better express themselves: Q&A with Raven Hickson and Peter Kind
Going against the gut: Q&A with Kevin Mitchell on the autism-microbiome theory
Sounding the alarm on pseudoreplication: Q&A with Constantinos Eleftheriou and Peter Kind
Decisional capacity and informed consent, explained
The link between maternal infection and autism, explained
Pathological demand avoidance in autism, explained
The connection between oxytocin and autism, explained
Spectrum books
Leucovorin, long-read sequencing, and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 16 March.
Leucovorin, long-read sequencing, and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 16 March.
Revised statistical bar extracts less-common variants from autism genetics studies
Adjusting genetic analyses could help plug autism’s heritability gap, according to a new preprint.
Revised statistical bar extracts less-common variants from autism genetics studies
Adjusting genetic analyses could help plug autism’s heritability gap, according to a new preprint.
Portfolio of SCN2A gene variants, and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 9 March.
Portfolio of SCN2A gene variants, and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 9 March.
New autism committee positions itself as science-backed alternative to government group
The Independent Autism Coordinating Committee plans to meet at the same time as the U.S. federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee later this month—and offer its own research agenda.
New autism committee positions itself as science-backed alternative to government group
The Independent Autism Coordinating Committee plans to meet at the same time as the U.S. federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee later this month—and offer its own research agenda.
Astrocytes orchestrate oxytocin’s social effects in mice
The cells amplify oxytocin—and may be responsible for sex differences in social behavior, two preprints find.
Astrocytes orchestrate oxytocin’s social effects in mice
The cells amplify oxytocin—and may be responsible for sex differences in social behavior, two preprints find.
Explore more from The Transmitter
Funding for animal research alternatives reaches ‘inflection point’
The United States and Europe are dedicating hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to advance novel alternative methods, but not all neuroscientists see this as a positive step.
Funding for animal research alternatives reaches ‘inflection point’
The United States and Europe are dedicating hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to advance novel alternative methods, but not all neuroscientists see this as a positive step.
‘Friction-maxxing’ in school: Students should read primary literature, not AI summaries
Trainees need to learn how to identify a neuroscience paper’s major takeaways and integrate them into their understanding. This skill doesn’t come from outsourcing the work to large language models.
‘Friction-maxxing’ in school: Students should read primary literature, not AI summaries
Trainees need to learn how to identify a neuroscience paper’s major takeaways and integrate them into their understanding. This skill doesn’t come from outsourcing the work to large language models.
Head direction cells stably orient mice to outside world
The cells’ representations show little drift over time—unlike those of other navigation system neurons—and may provide a “rigid backbone” for more flexible sensory and cognitive responses.
Head direction cells stably orient mice to outside world
The cells’ representations show little drift over time—unlike those of other navigation system neurons—and may provide a “rigid backbone” for more flexible sensory and cognitive responses.