IMFAR 2015

Recent articles

Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Hyperactive fish point to new drug treatments for autism

A drug that mimics estrogen eases hyperactivity in zebrafish lacking the autism-linked gene CNTNAP2. The results highlight the potential of the tiny fish for screening autism treatments.

By Jessica Wright
29 January 2016 | 5 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Brain structure abnormalities predict repetitive behaviors

Among babies who go on to receive a diagnosis of autism at age 2, alterations in brain structures forecast the severity of repetitive behaviors. The preliminary results were presented Saturday at the 2015 International Meeting for Autism Research in Salt Lake City, Utah.    

By Nicholette Zeliadt
19 May 2015 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

New approach powers up search for autism genes

A statistical trick can help researchers home in on subtle genetic blips that contribute to autism, according to unpublished results presented Saturday at the 2015 International Meeting for Autism Research in Salt Lake City, Utah.

By Jessica Wright
19 May 2015 | 2 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Takeaways from IMFAR 2015

Scientists and the autism community come together for the 2015 International Meeting for Autism Research in Salt Lake City, Utah.

By Greg Boustead
18 May 2015 | 6 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Brain structure abnormalities in autism vary by gender

A region of the brain involved in recognizing faces appears to be thinner than usual in women with autism and thicker than usual in men with the disorder. The preliminary results were presented yesterday at the 2015 International Meeting for Autism Research in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

By Nicholette Zeliadt
16 May 2015 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Primary care doctors unprepared to help adults with autism

Healthcare providers in the U.S. are ill equipped to care for the growing number of adults with autism, according to unpublished results presented yesterday at the 2015 International Meeting for Autism Research in Salt Lake City, Utah.

By Jessica Wright
16 May 2015 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Dispatches from IMFAR 2015

These short reports from our journalists give you the inside scoop on developments at the 2015 International Meeting for Autism Research.

Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Device predicts future word use in toddlers with autism

An automated analysis of the speech-like sounds from 3-year-olds with autism predicts their word use four months later, according to unpublished research presented yesterday at the 2015 International Meeting for Autism Research in Salt Lake City, Utah.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
15 May 2015 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Rare regressive disorder is not autism, new findings suggest

Children who are diagnosed with autism after drastically and suddenly losing cognitive abilities may actually have a distinct disorder, according to data presented yesterday at the 2015 International Meeting for Autism Research in Salt Lake City, Utah.

By Jessica Wright
15 May 2015 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Lopsided brain activity marks motor deficits in autism

Uneven wiring in the brain’s motor circuitry predicts movement difficulties in children with autism, according to unpublished research presented yesterday at the 2015 International Meeting for Autism Research in Salt Lake City, Utah.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
15 May 2015 | 3 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Null and Noteworthy: Neurons tracking sequences don’t fire in order

Instead, neurons encode the position of sequential items in working memory based on when they fire during ongoing brain wave oscillations—a finding that challenges a long-standing theory.

By Laura Dattaro
30 June 2025 | 4 min read

How to teach this paper: ‘Neurotoxic reactive astrocytes are induced by activated microglia,’ by Liddelow et al. (2017)

Shane Liddelow and his collaborators identified the factors that transform astrocytes from their helpful to harmful form. Their work is a great choice if you want to teach students about glial cell types, cell culture, gene expression or protein measurement.

By Ashley Juavinett
30 June 2025 | 10 min read

Astrocytes sense neuromodulators to orchestrate neuronal activity and shape behavior

Astrocytes serve as crucial mediators of neuromodulatory processes previously attributed to direct communication between neurons, four new studies show.

By Claudia López Lloreda
27 June 2025 | 9 min listen