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

Image showing duplicated data.

University probe leads to retraction of four neural tube studies

The University of Maryland conducted an internal investigation that identified image duplications and other data integrity issues in the studies, according to the retraction notices.

By Claudia López Lloreda
16 October 2026 | 6 min read
Illustration of five purple rectangles arranged three-dimensionally like folders on a black background with a pattern of white dots and white plus signs.

Highly cited autism paper earns expression of concern over data duplications

The notice, published in Nature last week, also addressed an image duplication identified by a prominent research-integrity sleuth.

By Madeline Shaw
16 October 2026 | 4 min read
Illustration of pixellated MRI scans morphing into the scales of justice.

Govern neurodata by how it’s used, not where it’s from

New neurodata laws will shape how researchers gather, share and reuse brain data. A use-based governance protects basic researchers and those whose data are being used, without freezing science.

By José M. Muñoz
16 October 2026 | 7 min read