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

Research image of neural activity in mouse auditory cortices.

Rise in autism prevalence but not traits; and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 7 July.

By Jill Adams
8 July 2025 | 2 min read
A fly over a background of waves of different colors.

Drosophila, like vertebrates, filter sensory information during sleep

Predictive sensory processing in sleeping Drosophila echoes vertebrate research, establishing an evolutionarily conserved neural signature of sleep.

By Siddhant Pusdekar
8 July 2025 | 5 min listen
Two researchers wander through stacks of pie charts.

Neuroscience’s open-data revolution is just getting started

Data reuse represents an opportunity to accelerate the pace of science, reduce costs and increase the value of our collective research investments. New tools that make open data easier to use—and new pressures, including funding cuts—may increase uptake.

By Benjamin Dichter
7 July 2025 | 8 min listen