Science & Technology - Jul 21, 2010 11:23 - 1 Comment

Autism’s unique vocal signature revealed

U. KANSAS (US)—Pre-verbal vocalizations of very young children with autism are distinctly different from those of typically developing children, according to new automated vocal analysis technology. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Jun 11, 2010 11:02 - 0 Comments

Step closer to untying autism’s genetic knot

YALE (US)—Deciphering the functions of multiple rare genes may be at the core of understanding the factors that cause autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), according to a new study. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Jun 9, 2010 10:38 - 0 Comments

Fragile X synaptic defects located in brain

NYU (US)—Researchers have identified novel synaptic defects in an area of the brain that is involved in the debilitating emotional symptoms of Fragile X Syndrome, the leading known genetic cause of autism and mental retardation. (more…)

Health & Medicine - May 20, 2010 12:03 - 3 Comments

Autism not alleviated by restricted diet

U. ROCHESTER (US)—A gluten-free, casein-free diet appears to have no impact on the behavior, sleep habits, or bowel patterns of children with autism, according to the most controlled diet study in autism to date. (more…)

Health & Medicine - May 14, 2010 11:52 - 1 Comment

Findings weaken autism theory

NYU (US)—The mirror neuron system, which is thought to play a central role in social communications, appears to respond normally in individuals with autism. The finding counters theories suggesting that a mirror system dysfunction causes the social difficulties related to the disorder. (more…)

Health & Medicine - May 3, 2010 5:45 - 18 Comments

Gluten-autism link doesn’t hold up

U. TEXAS-AUSTIN (US)—A gluten-free, casein-free diet is not an effective treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a review of more than a dozen major studies investigating the approach. (more…)

Society & Culture - Mar 25, 2010 15:37 - 3 Comments

Read my mood. It’s written on my face

STANFORD (US)—Can people be trained to recognize facial emotions? That’s the goal of work by Stanford University researcher David Wilkins, who is studying techniques used by portrait artists, actors, and psychologists. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Mar 9, 2010 13:25 - 6 Comments

The sibling side effect of autism

U. OREGON (US)—A new study shows that some siblings of autistic preschoolers show signs of developing hyperactivity. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Feb 25, 2010 11:43 - 0 Comments

Genetic link underlies schizophrenia, autism?

LEEDS (UK)—A genetic link between schizophrenia and autism is enabling researchers to study the effectiveness of drugs used to treat both illnesses. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Feb 18, 2010 19:50 - 2 Comments

Autism symptoms appear around age one

UC DAVIS (US)—A study of the development of autism in infants has found that the nascent symptoms of the condition—a lack of shared eye contact, smiling, and communicative babbling—are not present at 6 months, but emerge gradually and only become apparent during the latter part of the first year of life. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Feb 15, 2010 16:52 - 0 Comments

Mother’s age increases autism risk

UC DAVIS (US)—Advanced maternal age is linked to a significantly elevated risk of having a child with autism, regardless of the father’s age, according to a new study. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Feb 12, 2010 11:09 - 2 Comments

Why people with autism avoid hugs

NORTHWESTERN (US)—People with fragile X syndrome, a genetic defect that is the best-known cause of autism and inherited mental retardation, may shun physical touch because of delayed development of the sensory cortex, the part of the brain that responds to touch. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Feb 1, 2010 16:37 - 1 Comment

Protein appears to drive synapse formation

UC DAVIS (US)—A newly identified brain protein plays a critical role in creating and sustaining synapses, the complex chemical signaling system responsible for communication between neurons. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Jan 7, 2010 12:45 - 6 Comments

Education level a factor in autism clusters

UC DAVIS—Researchers have identified 10 locations in California where the incidence of autism is higher than surrounding areas in the same region. Most of the areas, or clusters, are in locations where parents have higher-than-average levels of education. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Dec 28, 2009 16:35 - 0 Comments

Mature brain recycles embryonic circuit maker

JOHNS HOPKINS (US)—Neuroscientists have discovered that an older mammal’s brain shrewdly revisits and reuses molecular cues from prenatal development to control the complex design of its circuits. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Dec 14, 2009 13:45 - 1 Comment

Kids with rewired brains read better

CARNEGIE MELLON (US)—Intensive instruction to improve reading skills in young children actually causes the brain to physically rewire itself, creating new white matter that improves communication within the brain. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Dec 1, 2009 14:54 - 1 Comment

Early approach helps toddlers with autism

UC DAVIS/U. WASHINGTON (US)—A novel early intervention program for very young children with autism—some as young as 18 months—is effective for improving IQ, language ability, and social interaction, a comprehensive new study has found. (more…)

Society & Culture - Nov 19, 2009 11:59 - 5 Comments

Are we hardwired for empathy?

UC BERKELEY (US)—Researchers have found compelling evidence that people who are more empathetic possess a particular variation of the oxytocin receptor gene. (more…)

Posts Tagged ‘autism’