SFN 2022

Recent articles

Single gene insufficient to account for dup15q, Angelman traits

UBE3A, a key gene associated with both autism-linked conditions, can explain most — but not all — of the syndromes’ atypical neuronal properties.

By Angie Voyles Askham
21 March 2023 | 6 min read
Geometric black-and-white brain model over a grid.

Excess of ‘don’t eat me’ cell signals may drive brain enlargement in autism

The signal, called CD47, is disrupted in autistic people who have a larger-than-average head.

By Peter Hess
22 November 2022 | 4 min read
Light micrograph of microglia cells stained with Rio Hortega’s silver carbonate method.

Autism’s sex bias tied to glial, immune cell gene expression

The function of microglia and astrocytes in the brain may mediate the intersection of sex-differential biology and autism biology.

By Angie Voyles Askham
22 November 2022 | 3 min read
Grid of nine mri scans of mouse brains.

Shared brain structure, connectivity hint at autism subgroups

Using imaging methods to sort mouse models of autism may help identify subtypes of autistic people with similar underlying biology.

By Angie Voyles Askham
21 November 2022 | 4 min read
Image of organoids modeling CDKL5 deficiency disorder.

Organoids identify potential therapies, circuit flaws for autism-linked syndromes

Brain cell clusters serve as drug screens and reveal connectivity differences for autism-linked conditions, two new models show.

By Peter Hess
21 November 2022 | 3 min read

Subtyping autism using fMRI: A quick take at SfN with Marco Pagani

Pagani used mouse models to connect autism etiologies to brain connectivity alterations and then found similar alterations in people with idiopathic forms of the condition.

By Spectrum
18 November 2022 | 1 min watch

Zebrafish social behavior swims into mainstream

New studies bolster the idea that zebrafish models can say something meaningful about social behavior in autism.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
17 November 2022 | 6 min read
An older woman with gray hair sits on a couch and speaks with a clinician.

Brain’s memory center flags autistic adults at risk for cognitive decline

Brain scans of the hippocampus reveal autistic people who are at increased risk of cognitive problems as they get older.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
17 November 2022 | 4 min read
Two white mice socialize.

Autism genes converge on disruptions in social brain circuit

The circuit linking the prefrontal cortex and part of the thalamus is impaired in mice raised in social isolation and in mice with mutations in the FMR1 or TSC2 genes.

By Peter Hess
17 November 2022 | 4 min read

Screening zebrafish autism models: A quick take at SfN with Ellen Hoffman

Zebrafish with mutations in 10 different autism-linked genes show a range of unique and shared phenotypes.

By Spectrum
16 November 2022 | 2 min watch

Explore more from The Transmitter

A human silhouette with lines connecting the brain to various organs.

PIEZO channels are opening the study of mechanosensation in unexpected places

The force-activated ion channels underlie the senses of touch and proprioception. Now scientists are using them as a tool to explore molecular mechanisms at work in internal organs, including the heart, bladder, uterus and kidney.

By Calli McMurray
30 January 2026 | 6 min read
US Department of Health and Human Services building.

Latest iteration of U.S. federal autism committee comes under fire

The new panel “represents a radical departure from all past rosters,” says autism researcher Helen Tager-Flusberg.

By Angie Voyles Askham
29 January 2026 | 9 min read
Progenitors cells in the medial ganglionic eminence become increasingly organized during development as rows of brain imaging progress from top to bottom.

‘Tour de force’ study flags fount of interneurons in human brain

The newly discovered cell type might point to the origins of the inhibitory imbalance linked to autism and other conditions.

By Holly Barker
29 January 2026 | 4 min read

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