Biological motion

Recent articles

Brain activity patterns may distinguish girls with autism

Atypical patterns of neuronal activity and gene expression in the striatum may characterize autism in girls, according to a new study.

By Angie Voyles Askham
2 June 2021 | 4 min read
Child hesitating in front of a giant eye showing areas of the brain, facial recognition and other connections related to sight.

Seeing connections between autism and blindness

Autism is unusually common among people with congenital blindness, in part because the ability to see drives much of brain development.

By Rubin Jure
12 November 2019 | 6 min read

What Ehlers-Danlos syndrome can teach us about autism

Not much is known about the connection between autism and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a condition that affects collagen. But preliminary work provides tantalizing clues.

By Emily Casanova
21 October 2019 | 6 min read
Man's face with eyes looking left.

People’s affinity for social cues is inherited, study suggests

Genetics may govern a person's ability to pay attention to social cues.

By Jessica Wright
22 April 2019 | 4 min read

Quantitative tests of motor skills could improve autism care

New assessments of the subtle motor difficulties that characterize autism could improve autistic children's lives and teach us a lot about the condition.

By Rujuta Bhatt Wilson
2 April 2019 | 6 min read
baby reaching for toy

Motor traits that mark autism remain elusive, large study finds

Motor problems in autistic infants may parallel those in infants with other developmental conditions.

By Hannah Furfaro
18 March 2019 | 4 min read

Oversold diets; big brains explained; tracking CRISPR and more

Benefits of diets for autism features remain unproven, variants of the same DNA region make brains big or small, and STAT announces a new CRISPR tracker.

By Emily Willingham
8 June 2018 | 4 min read

‘Syntax’ of mouse behavior may speak volumes about autism

An algorithm that decodes and quantifies mouse body language could reveal the brain circuits underlying certain autism features.

By Hannah Furfaro
21 March 2018 | 6 min read
Genes may partly account for difficulties in processing biological motion.

Movement perception, autism traits may share genetic roots

The ability to identify human-like movements is rooted in genetics — and may share those origins with autism traits.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
19 February 2018 | 5 min read

Prenatal microbiome; standing by stereotypes; Common Rule delay and more

Microbiologists debate the existence of bacteria in the womb, yet another movie relies on stereotypes to portray a person with autism, and the U.S. federal government delays implementation of the Common Rule for clinical research.

By Emily Willingham
2 February 2018 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Double-duty neurons in primary olfactory cortex pick up on more than just scent

The cells recognize not only odors, such as bananas and black licorice—but also images and words associated with those smells, according to single-neuron recordings from 17 people.

By Angie Voyles Askham
9 October 2024 | 7 min read

How neuroscience comics add KA-POW! to the field: Q&A with Kanaka Rajan

The artistic approach can help explain complex ideas frame by frame without diluting the science, Rajan says.

By Olivia Gieger
9 October 2024 | 7 min read

Former Columbia University psychiatrist committed research misconduct, says federal watchdog

Bret Rutherford, whose research was halted following a suicide in a clinical trial, falsely reported participant eligibility, according to the U.S. Office of Research Integrity.

By Brendan Borrell, Ellie Kincaid
8 October 2024 | 3 min read