MEG
Simply making data publicly available isn’t enough. We need to make it easy — that requires community buy-in.
I helped create a standard to make it easy to upload, analyze and compare functional MRI data. An ecosystem of tools has since grown up around it, boosting reproducibility and speeding up research.
![Illustration of hands organizing objects of various shapes and sizes.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1200-poldrack-open-neuroscience-transmitter-1024x683.webp)
Simply making data publicly available isn’t enough. We need to make it easy — that requires community buy-in.
I helped create a standard to make it easy to upload, analyze and compare functional MRI data. An ecosystem of tools has since grown up around it, boosting reproducibility and speeding up research.
Auditory cortex may develop early in autism
A well-studied brain response to sound appears earlier than usual in young children with autism.
![Dr. Edgar helps the participant prepare for the magnetoencephalography (MEG) exam.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/auditory-cortex-activity-autism-844.jpg)
Auditory cortex may develop early in autism
A well-studied brain response to sound appears earlier than usual in young children with autism.
Making neuroimaging accessible for more autistic children
A new protocol aims to help researchers include more autistic people — especially those who are minimally verbal or have intellectual disability — in imaging studies.
![Child in an MEG machine](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20210406-MEG-Plan844.jpg)
Making neuroimaging accessible for more autistic children
A new protocol aims to help researchers include more autistic people — especially those who are minimally verbal or have intellectual disability — in imaging studies.
Confusion at the crossroads of autism and hearing loss
Hearing difficulties and autism often overlap, exacerbating autism traits and complicating diagnoses.
![Illustration shows an ear balancing on a brain, surrounded by barriers blocking sound waves](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/20200811-Hearing-844.jpg)
Confusion at the crossroads of autism and hearing loss
Hearing difficulties and autism often overlap, exacerbating autism traits and complicating diagnoses.
Autistic children’s auditory delays may persist into adulthood
A delay in autistic children’s brain responses to sound may continue into adulthood.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/20200310-MEGScan-844.jpg)
Autistic children’s auditory delays may persist into adulthood
A delay in autistic children’s brain responses to sound may continue into adulthood.
Modified bike helmet scans brains of people in motion
A magnetic scanner fitted within an ordinary bicycle helmet may make it easier to visualize autistic children's brains.
![Child in a bike helmet repurposed as a brain scanner, smiles and laughs](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/20191220-Helmet-844.jpg)
Modified bike helmet scans brains of people in motion
A magnetic scanner fitted within an ordinary bicycle helmet may make it easier to visualize autistic children's brains.
Brains of minimally verbal autistic children respond slowly to sound
Several of the brain’s responses to sound are sluggish in autistic children who speak few or no words, compared with those who are verbal.
![Child in magnetoencephalograph (MEG) scanner](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/20190504-MEG-844.jpg)
Brains of minimally verbal autistic children respond slowly to sound
Several of the brain’s responses to sound are sluggish in autistic children who speak few or no words, compared with those who are verbal.
In quest for autism biomarkers, this technique has magnetic appeal
To find biological markers of autism, scientists would be wise to measure the brain's electrical activity along with the resulting magnetic fields.
![Portrait of Dr. Timothy Roberts](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Viewpoint_RobertsLEDE844.jpg)
In quest for autism biomarkers, this technique has magnetic appeal
To find biological markers of autism, scientists would be wise to measure the brain's electrical activity along with the resulting magnetic fields.
Autistic children may have to mute own perspective to grasp others’
To understand another person's point of view, children with autism may need to actively suppress their own.
![Child in MEG with eeg cap](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/20181227-TheoryofMind-844.jpg)
Autistic children may have to mute own perspective to grasp others’
To understand another person's point of view, children with autism may need to actively suppress their own.
New tool models source of signals in brain imaging techniques
New open-source software helps scientists pinpoint where electrical signals are produced in the brain.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/1970/01/neuromapper844.jpg)
New tool models source of signals in brain imaging techniques
New open-source software helps scientists pinpoint where electrical signals are produced in the brain.
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New connectomes fly beyond the brain
Researchers are mapping the neurons in Drosophila’s ventral nerve cord, where the central nervous system meets the rest of the body.
![Research image of neurons in the fly’s ventral nerve cord.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/lede-motormodules-1200-1024x692.webp)
New connectomes fly beyond the brain
Researchers are mapping the neurons in Drosophila’s ventral nerve cord, where the central nervous system meets the rest of the body.
Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman
A purpose-built database of participants who have shared genomic and behavioral data could give clinical trials a boost, Charman says.
![Illustration of researchers talking to laypeople amidst strands of DNA.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1200_Charman-1024x687.webp)
Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman
A purpose-built database of participants who have shared genomic and behavioral data could give clinical trials a boost, Charman says.
Cerebellar circuit may convert expected pain relief into real thing
The newly identified circuit taps into the brain’s opioid system to provide a top-down form of pain relief.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/paincircuit-1200-1024x692.webp)
Cerebellar circuit may convert expected pain relief into real thing
The newly identified circuit taps into the brain’s opioid system to provide a top-down form of pain relief.