Science and society

Research image showing connectivity in brain regions in female mice with and without a UBE3A variant.
Spectrum

CNTNAP2 variants; trait trajectories; sensory reactivity

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 22 July.

By Jill Adams
23 July 2024 | 2 min read
Illustration of an open journal featuring lines of text and small illustrations of eyes and mouths.
Spectrum

Bumetanide; sex-biased gene expression; racial and ethnic disparities

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 15 July.

By Jill Adams
16 July 2024 | 1 min read
Illustration of an adult holding two pieces of paper with different shapes on them in front of a child.
Spectrum

Autism interventions tailored for Black Americans; gene therapy for Rett syndrome; KATNAL2 gene

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 8 July.

By Jill Adams
9 July 2024 | 2 min read
Image of a crumpled dollar bill on a light pink background. The bill's edges suggest a line graph trending downward.
Funding Microphone

Future of BRAIN Initiative funding remains unclear

As the U.S. Congress begins to discuss federal science funding for 2025, any plans to compensate for this year’s cuts to the neuroscience program face an uphill battle.

By Angie Voyles Askham
3 July 2024 | 4 min listen
Research image showing the number of unique SHANK3 transcripts in mice.
Spectrum

FOXP1 gene; dose effect of neurodevelopmental conditions; transcriptomics in mouse model of autism

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 1 July.

By Jill Adams
2 July 2024 | 1 min read
Spectrum

Brain organoids overgrowth; DSCAM gene; sleep issues in autism

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 24 June.

By Jill Adams
25 June 2024 | 2 min read
Research image of white-matter density in brains of people with deletions or duplications in the 16p11.2 chromosomal region.
Spectrum

Double-empathy problem; dup15q syndrome; myelin loss in aging autistic adults

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 17 June.

By Jill Adams
18 June 2024 | 2 min read
Research image of cerebral organoids.
Spectrum

RNU4-2 gene; autism screening in Kenya; Rett syndrome gene therapy

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 10 June.

By Jill Adams
11 June 2024 | 2 min read
A photograph of Paul-Antoine Libourel.
Sleep Microphone

At the end of the earth with Paul-Antoine Libourel

The French researcher’s accomplishments working with chinstrap penguins in the Antarctic highlight the importance of recording sleep in the wild.

By Yves Sciama
11 June 2024 | 18 min listen
Illustration of an open journal featuring lines of text and small illustrations of eyes and mouths.
Spectrum

FOXP1 and FOXP2 genes; school absences; Parkinson’s disease

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 3 June.

By Jill Adams
4 June 2024 | 2 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image of neurons in the fly’s ventral nerve cord.
Connectome

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.

By Laura Dattaro
26 July 2024 | 7 min read
Spectrum

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.

By Cathleen O’Grady
25 July 2024 | 8 min read
Pain

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.

By Angie Voyles Askham
24 July 2024 | 6 min read