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Spectrum is the go-to destination for the latest news and analysis about autism research and a springboard for scientists and clinicians to forge collaborations that deepen our understanding of autism.

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Upcoming event
SEPTEMBER
12
2024
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI
19th Annual Thompson Center Autism Conference 2024
12 - 13 September 2024
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There is an alteration in excitation and inhibition, not just because of the number of cells but because of the synapses themselves. — VERÓNICA MARTÍNEZ-CERDEÑO

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What we are reading
“Differently different?: A commentary on the emerging social cognitive neuroscience of female autism”
By GINA RIPPON IN BIOLOGY OF SEX DIFFERENCES
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Spectrum

The perils of parachute research

Scientists who study autism in lower-income countries are working to end practices that exploit or ignore collaborators and communities on the ground.

By Linda Nordling
6 June 2024 | 11 min read
Research video of a zebrafish larva (zoomed in on the gut) being given glucose.
Spectrum

On the periphery: Thinking ‘outside the brain’ offers new ideas about autism

Neuronal alterations outside the brain may help to explain a host of the condition’s characteristic traits, including sensory changes, gut problems and motor differences.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
13 April 2023 | 20 min read
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Spectrum books

Chronicle of a Field Retold: Autism Science in Profile

2022
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Autism by the Numbers: Explaining its Apparent Rise

2021
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Spectrum’s guide to autism 2020

2020
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Research image of astrocytes and microglia in mouse brains.

X-chromosome genes; neurobiology of infant crying; MCHAT in preemies

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 2 September.

By Jill Adams
3 September 2024 | 2 min read
Illustration of a red pencil with a white eraser that is being used against a white sheet of paper.

Task swap prompts data do-over for autism auditory perception study

The investigators retracted their paper after other researchers pointed out the error; the original team plans to redo the experiment, according to one author.

By Shaena Montanari
22 August 2024 | 2 min read
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Creating a more inclusive autism research community

The Transmitter rounds up efforts to improve equity and diversity both within the field and in research projects.

By Daisy Yuhas
22 August 2024 | 2 min read
Research image of human neurons.

Congenital heart disease; community-driven policymaking; empathy in autism

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 19 August.

By Jill Adams
20 August 2024 | 3 min read
Research image of cell-type representation in the frontal cortex.

Ketamine for ADNP syndrome; electrical gap junctions; echolalia

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 12 August.

By Jill Adams
13 August 2024 | 2 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

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Reconstructing dopamine’s link to reward

The field is grappling with whether to modify the long-standing theory of reward prediction error—or abandon it entirely.

By Angie Voyles Askham
13 September 2024 | 18 min read
Illustration of cranes attempting to assemble a structure out of very small black squares.

Dopamine and the need for alternative theories

Some experimental findings are inconsistent with the dominant model of reward prediction error, highlighting the need for alternative testable and falsifiable models for dopamine function.

By Vijay Mohan K. Namboodiri
13 September 2024 | 7 min read
Illustration of several structures constructed out of small black squares, with scaffolding on some of the structures.

Does a new theory of dopamine replace the classic model?

My answer would be no, but the model poses challenges that will sharpen our understanding of dopamine and learning.

By Naoshige Uchida
13 September 2024 | 8 min read