SFN 2010

Recent articles

Movement study supports ‘extreme-male brain’ hypothesis

People with autism are slower than controls at interpreting emotions expressed by physical movement, researchers reported Wednesday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.

By Deborah Rudacille
19 November 2010 | 3 min read

Modeling captures mouse habitat’s effect on neurons

Computerized three-dimensional modeling shows nerve cell abnormalities in the hippocampus of fragile X mice — and suggests the importance of raising experimental mice in more natural habitats, according to a poster presented Wednesday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
19 November 2010 | 2 min read

Antibiotic proves promising as fragile X treatment

Minocycline, an antibiotic approved to treat various infections including acne, can increase vocalizations and provide long-lasting improvements in anxiety in a fragile X mouse model, according to two posters presented at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.

By Jessica Wright
19 November 2010 | 3 min read

Video: Live from the brain, it’s neuron development

Brain cells communicate across complex junctions called synapses, filled with proteins working to bind neurons together. Kurt Haas of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver has developed a method to watch neuron development in the growing tadpole brain.

By Jessica Wright
19 November 2010 | 1 min read

Mouse model hints at Alzheimer’s therapies for fragile X

Lowering the levels of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease can improve symptoms of fragile X syndrome in mice, according to a poster presented Wednesday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
19 November 2010 | 3 min read

Congressman Kennedy calls for neuroscience ‘moonshot’

Sharing stories about his own family’s struggles with neurological disease, Patrick J. Kennedy, a Democratic Congressman, on Monday called for a focused national program to uncover the causes and treatments for brain disorders. The challenge today, he told SFARI, is to devote enough resources for research on disorders such as autism.

By Deborah Rudacille
19 November 2010 | 1 min read

Video: Why make neurons from children with autism?

Ricardo Dolmetsch is making neurons from induced pluripotent stem cells derived from people with Timothy syndrome, a rare single-gene disorder that causes heart arrhythmias and autism. On Wednesday morning at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego, Dolmetsch talked to SFARI about how this approach could help autism research.

By Virginia Hughes
19 November 2010 | 1 min read

Potential biomarker found in urine of children with autism

Young children with autism have high urine levels of a compound that is likely to be a product of gut bacteria, according to a poster presented Tuesday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
18 November 2010 | 3 min read

Immune protein alters development in young mice

Pregnant mice injected with the immune protein interleukin-6 give birth to pups that are less social than normal, an effect that results from the over-activation of two pathways critical in neurodevelopment, researchers reported Tuesday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.

By Deborah Rudacille
18 November 2010 | 2 min read

Video: Mining genes from whole genomes

Rapid advances in DNA sequencing technology are enabling researchers to comb quickly — and ever more cheaply — through whole genomes. At the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego, Evan Eichler talked to SFARI about what the rapid accumulation of genetic sequence information means for autism research.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
18 November 2010 | 1 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

BCL11A-related intellectual developmental disorder; intervention dosage; gray-matter volume

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 11 November.

By Jill Adams
12 November 2024 | 2 min read
Illustration of a brain overlaid with circles containing flowers and circuit-like networks, among other images.

NeuroAI: A field born from the symbiosis between neuroscience, AI

As the history of this nascent discipline reveals, neuroscience has inspired advances in artificial intelligence, and AI has provided a testing ground for models in neuroscience, accelerating progress in both fields.

By Anthony Zador
11 November 2024 | 6 min read
Illustration of a simple matrix of overlapping circles next to a more complex network of intersecting lines against a muted but colorful background.

What the brain can teach artificial neural networks

The brain offers valuable lessons to artificial neural networks to boost their data and energy efficiency, flexibility and more.

By Anthony Zador
11 November 2024 | 7 min read