Metabolism

Recent articles

Into the woods with Susan Masino

When she isn't researching the links between metabolism and brain activity, this neuroscientist logs time in forests and advocates for protecting green spaces.

By Emmet Fraizer
5 January 2024 | 5 min read
Research image of the blood-brain barrier.

Rare autism-linked mutation starves growing neurons of essential nutrients

The mutation prevents certain amino acids from entering neurons, causing the cells to die early in development.

By Lauren Schenkman
10 April 2023 | 5 min read
A photograph of an infant's foot.

Dietary changes ease traits in rare autism-linked condition

Early treatment with nutritional supplements and a high-protein diet forestalls some neurodevelopmental problems for children with BCKDK deficiency.

By Lauren Schenkman
21 February 2023 | 5 min read
An adult administers a medication to an infant.

Experimental drug shows promise for autism-linked syndromes

The drug quells seizures in children with Dravet syndrome or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

By Charles Q. Choi
2 September 2022 | 5 min read
Brain made up of two different medicines

Meet the company trying precision medicine for autism

Swiss biotech Stalicla hopes to bring precision medicine to autism. Experts praise efforts to identify autism subgroups, but evidence to support the company’s claims has yet to be seen.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
27 June 2022 | 12 min listen

Altering metabolic pathway spurs neuronal, behavioral changes in mice

Overexpressing genes involved in the pathway, which regulates protein quality, changes repetitive behaviors in the animals.

By Laura Dattaro
5 April 2022 | 5 min read
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Mitochondria: An energy explanation for autism

People with autism have more mutations than others do in both mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA that affects mitochondrial function.

By Laura Dattaro
22 November 2021 | 3 min watch
Stylized illustration combines flat color and 3D forms make up a mitochondria with human heads inside it.

Meet the ‘mitomaniacs’ who say mitochondria matter in autism

Clues that problems with mitochondria contribute to autism have been accumulating for decades. In the past five years, a mutant mouse and a flurry of findings have energized the field.

By Laura Dattaro
22 November 2021 | 18 min read
Illustration shows boy with bag of oranges, in landscape of food with DNA trailing around him

Diets may help autistic children with certain genetic profiles

No diet is likely to treat autistic people on a large scale, but diets based on a genetic profile may bring big benefits to a few.

By Martin Breuss, Joseph Gleeson
17 December 2019 | 6 min read

Levels of brain chemicals may reflect severity of autism traits

The levels of four chemicals in the brain may distinguish autism and vary with its severity, according to a new study.

By Polina Porotskaya
19 August 2019 | 3 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of a funnel taking abstract shapes in at the top and spouting an organized flow of shapes out at the bottom.

To keep or not to keep: Neurophysiology’s data dilemma

An exponential growth in data size presents neuroscientists with a significant challenge: Should we be keeping all raw data or focusing on processed datasets? I asked experimentalists and theorists for their thoughts.

By Nima Dehghani
25 November 2024 | 5 min read
Piggy bank with half of its body replaced by a brain.

Neuroscientists reeling from past cuts advocate for more BRAIN Initiative funding

The director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health calls BRAIN a “high priority” but acknowledges that difficult decisions lie ahead if federal budgets remain flat.

By Angie Voyles Askham
22 November 2024 | 5 min read
A repeating pattern of orange butterflies against a blue background.

‘Huge influx’ of neuroscientists migrates to Bluesky

Daily neuroscience-related posts on the social-media platform this week have increased more than 400 percent, on average, compared with October.

By Calli McMurray
21 November 2024 | 5 min read