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Olfaction; autism-linked genes in monkeys; eye movements

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 3 February.

By Jill Adams
4 February 2025 | 1 min read
  • Male mice missing a copy of either of two autism-linked genes—TSC2 or SHANK3—show enhanced learning in a behavioral task compared with females carrying these variants and with wildtype mice, according to a preprint. bioRxiv
  • Brain-imaging studies that engage participants in a sustained-attention task reveal robust differences between people with and without autism, according to a preprint. medRxiv
  • Mice missing the FMR1 gene display altered behaviors in response to various odors and show structural changes in their olfactory bulbs. Scientific Reports
Research image of mouse olfactory bulbs.
Smell test: Olfactory bulbs are larger in mice missing the FMR1 gene (right panels) compared with wildtype mice (left), with co-occuring volume changes in the glomerular and gradual cell layers (highlighted in yellow).
  • Rhesus monkeys carry many gene variants similar to those associated with autism in people. Molecular Autism
  • Autistic children with co-occuring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder exhibit different saccadic eye movements than their autistic peers without ADHD in response to a battery of oculomotor tasks. Spectrum has previously covered eye “jumps” associated with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
  • Mice missing the autism-linked gene TBR1 in cortical neurons have altered neuronal coordination while engaging in social behaviors, according to a preprint. bioRxiv

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