IMFAR 2012

Recent articles

Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Brain trust

Preliminary research shows that in people with autism, oxytocin enhances activity in brain areas that process social information.

By Emily Singer
1 June 2012 | 2 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

In autism, head growth patterns vary by gender

Girls diagnosed with autism have slower brain growth in the first year of their life than typically developing children, whereas boys’ brains grow at the same rate as those of typical children, according to a population-based study in Norway.

By Emily Singer
24 May 2012 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

New report finds DSM-5 criteria unlikely to exclude many

Contrary to previous studies, preliminary results from field trials of the new criteria for diagnosing autism suggest it will capture people on the high-functioning end of the spectrum.

By Emily Singer
24 May 2012 | 7 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Early data suggest antibiotic helps treat fragile X syndrome

Preliminary results from a placebo-controlled trial of the antibiotic minocycline in children with fragile X syndrome suggest the drug alleviates some aspects of the disorder, according to research presented Friday at the International Meeting for Autism Research in Toronto.

By Emily Singer
19 May 2012 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Why it’s good to share your data

Neuroscience funding has plateaued, so researchers need to squeeze every drop from existing data.

By Emily Singer
18 May 2012 | 2 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Long-term project charts methylation patterns in pregnancy

By studying pregnant women who already have a child with autism, researchers hope to understand how epigenetic changes — those that affect gene expression but don’t directly alter DNA — during pregnancy influences risk of the disorder.

By Emily Singer
18 May 2012 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Giving fathers oxytocin boosts levels in babies

Two new studies on oxytocin, the so-called ‘trust hormone,’ suggest new avenues for using the drug to treat autism.

By Emily Singer
17 May 2012 | 3 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Piggy bank with blindfold.

Future remains uncertain for U.S. federal funding of behavioral, cognitive science

The National Science Foundation did not include any solicitations for its social, behavioral and economic sciences directorate in its latest round of funding opportunities, nor replace any outgoing program officers—which poses an existential threat for the program, says nonprofit executive Wendy Naus.

By Calli McMurray
26 August 2026 | 5 min read

How energy determines where proteins are produced in neurons

Tatjana Tchumatchenko explains how mathematical modeling elucidates whether ion-channel proteins are produced locally in the soma or in the dendrites.

By Gaute Einevoll
26 August 2026 | 104 min listen
A brown mouse between a red cube and blue cylinder looks curiously at the top of the cylinder, standing on hind legs.

Wouldn’t you like to know? A mouse would

Mice seek information for curiosity’s sake—and their desire for knowledge versus a payout is represented distinctly in the brain, new findings suggest.

By Sarah Thau
26 August 2026 | 5 min read