Connectivity theory

Recent articles

Research illustration groups genes by their effects on brain cell types.

Giant analysis reveals how autism-linked genes affect brain cell types

Genes that predispose people to autism account for a large portion of the neuronal and glial cell changes seen in those with the condition.

By Charles Q. Choi
20 June 2024 | 5 min read

Autism-linked mutation disrupts brain circuit to change social behavior

Therapies that target the circuit could boost social activity, new findings suggest.

By Charles Q. Choi
24 June 2022 | 4 min read

Synaptic overgrowth, hyperconnectivity may define autism subtype

Model mice of the subtype also show hyperactivity in a signaling pathway called mTOR, bolstering the idea that distinct forms of autism have different biological roots and may require different treatment approaches.

By Angie Voyles Askham
18 November 2021 | 4 min read
Black CDKL5 mice in a lab setting--three mice in a cage.

Brain stimulation improves memory in autism mouse models

Jolting a bundle of nerve fibers deep in the brain restores learning and memory in mice with mutations of the autism-linked gene CDKL5.

By Charles Q. Choi
15 October 2021 | 3 min read
Colorful image of a composite of multiple brain scans showing communication patterns in different regions.

Autism mouse models cluster by brain activity pattern

Four subtypes lend new support to the idea that there isn’t a single ‘hallmark’ type of brain connectivity in people with autism.

By Niko McCarty
10 September 2021 | 5 min read
Neurons in red and green

‘Neurons on a chip’ reveal patterns across autism-linked conditions

Activity patterns of neuronal networks link different genetic subtypes of autism that have similar traits, according to new unpublished research.

By Angie Voyles Askham
7 May 2021 | 3 min read
Brain diagrams showing connectivity within different regions.

Gene mutations point to overlaps in brain connectivity for autism, schizophrenia

People who have large mutations associated with autism and schizophrenia share atypical patterns of brain connectivity, according to a new study, especially between areas that process sensory information.

By Angie Voyles Askham
30 November 2020 | 4 min read

Slow, disorderly brain waves may flag autism in toddlers

Certain patterns of electrical activity in the brain may signal autism in children with tuberous sclerosis complex, a related genetic condition.

By Emily Anthes
23 September 2019 | 4 min read
Mouse neurons in a grid show differences

Autism mutation may disrupt brain structure by disabling mitochondria

Mice that lack a segment of chromosome 22 — a mutation associated with autism — have unusually sparse connections between brain regions.

By Emily Anthes
13 June 2019 | 4 min read
Illustration of cerebellum in human brain

Communication in brain shows sex difference in autism

Autistic women show unusually strong connections, and autistic men unusually weak ones, between two brain regions.

By Jessica Wright
3 June 2019 | 3 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image of developing axons in the fly brain.

How developing neurons simplify their search for a synaptic mate

Streamlining the problem from 3D to 1D eases the expedition—a strategy the study investigators deployed to rewire an olfactory circuit in flies.

By Calli McMurray
6 June 2025 | 6 min read
Distorted floppy discs.

NIH autism database announcement raises concerns among researchers

The U.S. National Institutes of Health announced a plan to pour $50 million into data science projects intended to investigate the condition’s causes, but the initiative’s short timeline and other atypicalities have prompted questions.

By Angie Voyles Askham
5 June 2025 | 5 min read
Image of alpha-synuclein filaments in the brain.

Large study links autism to Parkinson’s disease

Autistic adults appear to be prone to an early-onset form of Parkinson’s, according to a long-term study that tracked 2.2 million people in Sweden.

By Charles Q. Choi
5 June 2025 | 4 min read