SFN 2012

Recent articles

Robotic tool profiles patterns of neurons

Researchers have launched a $4.3 million five-year collaborative effort to profile thousands of types of neurons in the brain, detailing their shape, signaling patterns and gene expression. The project was presented in a poster session Tuesday at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

By Jessica Wright
19 October 2012 | 3 min read

Movement patterns may distinguish autism subgroups

Analysis of the movement patterns of people with autism suggests a new approach to classifying the disorder, as well as opportunities for individualized treatment, according to research presented at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
19 October 2012 | 4 min read

Fragile X syndrome can be treated in adulthood

Activating the expression of FMR1, the gene mutated in fragile X syndrome, in adult mice reverses symptoms of the syndrome, according to a poster presented Monday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

By Jessica Wright
19 October 2012 | 2 min read

Cognitive test highlights flexibility deficits in autism

A new cognitive test demonstrates the difficulties people with autism have with flexible thinking, according to a poster presented Wednesday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
19 October 2012 | 3 min read

Study implicates ‘pleasure circuit’ in Angelman syndrome

Mice that model Angelman syndrome, an autism-related disorder, are more motivated to earn rewards than controls are, according to unpublished results presented Wednesday at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

By Virginia Hughes
18 October 2012 | 3 min read

Imaging techniques capture real-world social interaction

Three new approaches to brain imaging, presented Tuesday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans, allow researchers to probe how the brain responds to social situations.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
18 October 2012 | 5 min read

Researchers swing toward monkey models of autism

Researchers in Japan have completed the first step in creating transgenic monkey models of autism, according to a poster presented Wednesday at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

By Virginia Hughes
18 October 2012 | 3 min read

Prenatal antibodies boost brain stem cells in mice

Prenatal exposure to antibodies collected from the mothers of children with autism boosts stem cell proliferation in the brains of mice, according to two studies presented at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

By Emily Singer
18 October 2012 | 5 min read

Stem cell study identifies early issues in Rett syndrome

Neural stem cells derived from people with Rett syndrome show early signs of dysfunction, according to unpublished research presented at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting.

By Emily Singer
17 October 2012 | 4 min read

Video: The importance of listening with the eyes

Eyes and ears work together to help us communicate with others. In a video interview with SFARI.org, Sophie Molholm explains that this process goes awry in children with autism.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
17 October 2012 | 1 min read

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Rajesh Rao reflects on predictive brains, neural interfaces and the future of human intelligence

Twenty-five years ago, Rajesh Rao proposed a seminal theory of how brains could implement predictive coding for perception. His modern version zeroes in on actions.

By Paul Middlebrooks
18 December 2024 | 97 min listen
Portrait of Yves Fregnac

In memoriam: Yves Frégnac, influential and visionary French neuroscientist

Frégnac, who died on 18 October at the age of 73, built his career by meeting neuroscience’s complexity straight on.

By Bahar Gholipour
18 December 2024 | 9 min read
Illustration shows a solitary figure moving through a green and blue field of dots moving at different rates.

Explaining ‘the largest unexplained number in brain science’: Q&A with Markus Meister and Jieyu Zheng

The human brain takes in sensory information roughly 100 million times faster than it can respond. Neuroscientists need to explore this perceptual paradox to better understand the limits of the brain, Meister and Zheng say.

By Claudia López Lloreda
17 December 2024 | 8 min read