SFN 2011

Recent articles

Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Imaging finds cerebellar changes in autism, other disorders

People with autism have structural changes in parts of the cerebellum that are distinct from those seen in individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or dyslexia, according to an unpublished meta-analysis presented at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
17 November 2011 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Rett, autism mouse brains mimic human disorders

The brains of mice that model Rett syndrome are smaller than normal overall and have differences in specific regions similar to those seen in people with the disorder, according to unpublished research presented Wednesday at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

By Jessica Wright
17 November 2011 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Rat study suggests mechanism for infection-schizophrenia link

Altered function of a brain receptor may help explain the why infection during pregnancy raises the risk for schizophrenia in the offspring, according to an unpublished rat study presented at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
17 November 2011 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Researchers identify drug candidate for Angelman syndrome

Researchers have identified a compound that shows promise as a treatment for Angelman syndrome, a developmental disorder related to autism. The unpublished results were presented Tuesday at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

By Jessica Wright
17 November 2011 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Video: Birds do it for autism research

Studying bird species such as the zebra finch can help researchers understand language difficulties in autism, Stephanie White told SFARI.org in a video interview at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
17 November 2011 | 1 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Researchers map microRNAs in autism brains

Researchers have charted the expression of tiny pieces of RNA in postmortem brain tissue from people with autism, according to unpublished research presented Tuesday at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

By Virginia Hughes
17 November 2011 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Folate low in spinal fluid of children with autism, study says

A small fraction of young children with autism have low levels of folate, a B vitamin, in their cerebrospinal fluid, according to unpublished research presented at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

By Virginia Hughes
17 November 2011 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Fruit flies pin down autism candidates

Looking at flies that express elevated levels of UBE3A, a gene that is duplicated in some people with autism, researchers have identified 81 proteins that may be linked to the disorder, according to unpublished results presented Tuesday at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

By Jessica Wright
17 November 2011 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Video test measures subtleties of social cognition

Social cognition tests using videos of actors performing emotional expressions and scenes can measure subtle impairments characteristic of high-functioning people with autism, according to unpublished research presented at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
16 November 2011 | 4 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

MET variants influence connectivity in children with autism

Individuals who carry an autism-linked common variant in the MET gene have abnormally low brain connectivity, according to unpublished research presented at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

By Virginia Hughes
16 November 2011 | 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