SFN GC 2021

Recent articles

Lost sleep sparks lasting social problems in SHANK3 mice

Sleep disruption early in life has long-lasting consequences for mice missing a copy of the autism-linked gene SHANK3.

By Peter Hess
12 September 2022 | 3 min read
organoids in early stages of development.

Organoids show how mutations in top autism gene may lead to brain overgrowth in people

The loss of CHD8, a top autism gene, speeds up the production of certain neurons and leads to overgrowth in spheres of cultured brain cells.

By Peter Hess
19 April 2022 | 3 min read
Scans of mouse brain slices showing differences in oxytocin levels

Oxytocin alters brain activity to boost sociability in mice missing autism gene

Infusions of the hormone oxytocin may make mice that model autism more social by normalizing their brain activity patterns.

By Alla Katsnelson
20 January 2022 | 3 min read
human brain lights up with connections within a network

Community newsletter: All about SfN Global Connectome

We dove into what people on social media thought about the SfN Global Connectome 2021 conference -- and its virtual format.

By Chelsey B. Coombs
19 January 2021 | 4 min read
Illustration of brain pattern with people gathering on it.

Highlights, missed opportunities: SfN by the tweets

Participants video chatted and tweeted their way through the Society for Neuroscience’s three-day virtual conference this week.

By Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky
15 January 2021 | 5 min read
girl about to catch a ball

Autistic children may have trouble predicting movements

Autistic children may have a harder time catching a ball than non-autistic children do, possibly because they are less able to predict its trajectory.

By Alla Katsnelson
15 January 2021 | 4 min read
SEM of faecal bacteria.

Study hints at microbiome differences in children with autism

Children with autism may have a subtly different set of bacteria in their gut than their non-autistic siblings do.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
14 January 2021 | 3 min read
Illustration of firing neurons.

Autism protein may shape neuronal firing patterns

Cells with excess UBE3A, an autism-linked protein, have atypical firing properties that can be corrected by limiting the protein's levels, according to new research.

By Angie Voyles Askham
14 January 2021 | 3 min read
Mouse on gray background looks at something out of frame.

Inability to attend to cues may cause sensory challenges in fragile X mice

Sensory problems in people with fragile X syndrome may stem from hyperactive neurons, a mouse model study suggests.

By Angie Voyles Askham
14 January 2021 | 3 min read
Mouse with her pup

Malfunctioning neurons mute sound processing in mouse model of Rett syndrome

Female mice missing a copy of the autism-linked gene MECP2 in a specific set of inhibitory neurons have a hard time heeding pups’ calls and herding litters.

By Peter Hess
14 January 2021 | 3 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Emotion research has a communication conundrum

In 2025, the words we use to describe emotions matter, but their definitions are controversial. Here, I unpack the different positions in this space and the rationales behind them—and I invite 13 experts to chime in.

By Nicole Rust
5 September 2025 | 37 min listen

Autism-linked copy number variants always boost autism likelihood

By contrast, varied doses of the same genes decrease or increase the odds of five other conditions, with distinct biological consequences, two new preprints show.

By Natalia Mesa
4 September 2025 | 7 min listen

Everything everywhere all at once: Decision-making signals engage entire brain

The findings, gleaned from the most comprehensive map yet of brain activity during decision-making in mice, show that the process is even more distributed than previously thought.

By Claudia López Lloreda
3 September 2025 | 5 min read

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