PMDSF 2012

Recent articles

Spectrum from The Transmitter.

In Phelan-McDermid, motor neurons show irregularities

Motor neurons derived from individuals with Phelan-McDermid syndrome, a rare autism-related disorder, form abnormal connections with muscle cells. The unpublished research was presented 26 July at a meeting of the Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation in Orlando.

By Virginia Hughes
30 July 2012 | 2 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Scientists track adult regression in autism-related syndrome

Several scientists at the Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation's annual meeting focused on the wide range of symptoms, including a sudden loss of motor and cognitive skills, that seem to crop up in adults with the disorder.

By Virginia Hughes
26 July 2012 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image of a fiber optic implant in a mouse brain.

Bespoke photometry system captures variety of dopamine signals in mice

The tool tracks the excitation of an engineered protein that senses dopamine’s absolute levels, including fast and slow fluctuations in real time, and offers new insights into how the signals change across the brain.

By Sydney Wyatt
21 March 2025 | 5 min read
Cognitive neuroscientist Nick Turk-Browne helps an infant into an fMRI machine.

What infant fMRI is revealing about the developing mind

Cognitive neuroscientists have finally clocked how to perform task-based functional MRI experiments in awake babies—long known for their inability to lie still or take direction. Next, they aim to watch cognition take shape and settle a debate about our earliest memories—with one group publishing a big clue today.

By Calli McMurray
20 March 2025 | 12 min read
A mouse sits on a gloved hand.

Molecular changes after MECP2 loss may drive Rett syndrome traits

Knocking out the gene in adult mice triggered up- and down-regulated expression of myriad genes weeks before there were changes in neuronal function.

By Chloe Williams
20 March 2025 | 5 min read