SFN 2015

Recent articles

Neuron tag may shield synapses from brain’s pruning shears

A protective molecular tag on neurons can prevent microglia, the brain’s immune cells, from trimming away their connections with other neurons.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
12 November 2018 | 4 min read

Three autism mouse models marked by defects in same circuit

Problems with social interactions stem from faulty wiring of a single circuit spanning distant brain regions, results from three mouse models of autism suggest.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
8 November 2017 | 4 min read

Network analysis gives clues to other ailments in autism

Genes linked to autism are associated with a variety of other ailments, including cancer, heart conditions, autoimmune disorders and gut problems.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
25 October 2016 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Maternal immune molecule triggers autism symptoms in male mice

Rare antibodies taken from the blood of women who have a child with autism cause brain structure changes and autism-like symptoms in male mice.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
7 November 2015 | 4 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Over-synched brains trigger out-of-step social behavior

People with autism show excessively synchronized activity between brain regions while conversing with others.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
22 October 2015 | 4 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Male mice more vulnerable to tilt of gut-brain axis

Early disruption of the microbes that inhabit the gut can alter a mouse’s sociability long term.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
22 October 2015 | 4 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

For autism mouse models, gender matters

The mutation that leads to Angelman syndrome may affect the brains of female mice more severely than those of male mice.

By Jessica Wright
22 October 2015 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Autism model reveals brain processes behind ‘super’ skills

Structural changes in the connections between neurons may underlie the enhanced learning and motor skills of a mouse model of autism.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
21 October 2015 | 4 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

One form of immune gene tracks with autism traits

A variant in a gene that regulates immune responses is more common in children with autism than in those without this disorder.

By Katie Moisse
21 October 2015 | 2 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Prairie vole study digs up link between Prozac, oxytocin

Prairie vole pups exposed to the antidepressant fluoxetine in the womb show autism-like behaviors and lose some receptors for oxytocin and vasopressin.

By Rachel Zamzow
21 October 2015 | 3 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Stimulating the brain with Damien Fair

The MacArthur Foundation “genius” discusses his return to his home state of Minnesota and why it’s important to protect the developing brain.

By Brady Huggett
3 February 2025 | 68 min listen

Roundup: The false association between vaccines and autism

In light of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s U.S. Senate confirmation hearings this week, The Transmitter has rounded up our past coverage of the false association between vaccines and autism.

By The Transmitter
31 January 2025 | 1 min read

Static pay, shrinking prospects fuel neuroscience postdoc decline

Postdoctoral researchers sponsored by the National Institutes of Health now toil longer than ever before, for less money. They are responding accordingly.

By Katie Moisse
31 January 2025 | 20 min read