Hormone Oxytocin Improves Social Cognition But Only In Less Socially Proficient Individuals
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that the naturally-occurring hormone oxytocin selectively improves social cognitive abilities for less socially proficient individuals, but has little effect on those who are more socially proficient.
Nature Study: Discovery Of Key Pathway Interaction May Lead To Therapies That Aid Brain Growth And Repair In Children And Adults
Researchers at the Center for Neuroscience Research at Children’s National Medical Center have discovered that the two major types of signaling pathways activated during brain cell development – the epidermal growth factor receptor pathway and the Notch pathway – operate together to determine how many and which types of brain cells are created during growth and repair in developing and adult brains.
Secret Funding Fosters Hope For New Drugs For Autism
Funding from an anonymous wealthy family has been the secret to progress, at long last, in developing drugs that show promise for helping millions of people worldwide with Fragile X syndrome, the most common genetic cause of autism.
When Yawning Is Catching And When It Is Not
If somebody yawns it is likely that half the people nearby will probably do the same – a occurrence we call contagious yawning. However, children with severe autism miss the subtle cues that elicit collective yawning, say researchers from the University of Connecticut in a study published in the medical journal Child Development.
Claims Data Fail to Support Thimerosal-Autism Link (CME/CE)
Yet another study — this one analyzing insurance claims data and other records for children with autism spectrum disorders — showed that exposure to thimerosal, either prenatally or after birth, did not increase the risk of autism, XX
Misfolded Neural Proteins Linked To Autism Disorders
An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, has identified misfolding and other molecular anomalies in a key brain protein associated with autism spectrum disorders.
Study Shows That Some Classes Of Interneurons May Underlie Distinct Brain Disorders
A type of neuron that, when malfunctioning, has been tied to epilepsy, autism and schizophrenia is much more complex than previously thought, researchers at MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory report in the Sept.
TAU Investigates Brain Connections To Understand Disorders Of The Mind
Uncovering the secrets of the brain requires an intense network of collaborative research. Building on a tool that was co-developed in his laboratory and described in a recent issue of Brain,
Geometric Patterns Mesmerize Autistic TotsÂ
A toddler’s fixation on geometric patterns may be an early warning sign of autism, researchers found.
CIGNA Offers Free Nine-Month Autism Education Series Starting In September
Starting in September, CIGNA will offer a series of free monthly telephone seminars to help people better understand the physical, mental, and emotional challenges in children who may display the symptoms of developmental disorders like autism and Asperger syndrome.