Autism News

June 20, 2025

Top Headlines

CRISPR-Edited Stem Cells Reveal Hidden Causes of Autism

June 14, 2025 — A team at Kobe University has created a game-changing resource for autism research: 63 mouse embryonic stem cell lines, each carrying a genetic mutation strongly associated with the disorder. By pairing classic stem cell manipulation with precise ...

Sugar Shield Restored: The Breakthrough Reversing Brain Aging and Memory Loss

June 13, 2025 — A protective sugar coating on brain blood vessels, once thought to be insignificant, turns out to play a vital role in preventing cognitive decline. Restoring this layer reversed damage and memory ...

Sustained in the Brain: How Lasting Emotions Arise from Brief Stimuli, in Humans and Mice

May 29, 2025 — Humans and mice share persistent brain-activity patterns in response to adverse sensory experience, scientists find, opening a window to our emotions and, perhaps, neuropsychiatric ...

Link Between Mental Health and Personality Traits Uncovered

May 29, 2025 — Common mental health conditions are more closely related to people's personalities than previously thought, a study suggests. Personality traits explain about a quarter of the overall risk of mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and ...

Overlooked Cells Might Explain the Human Brain's Huge Storage Capacity

May 28, 2025 — Researchers have a new hypothesis for how brain cells called astrocytes might contribute to memory storage in the brain. Their model, known as dense associative memory, would help explain the brain's massive storage ...

Overimitation Begins in Infancy but Is Not Yet Linked to in-Group Preference

May 26, 2025 — A new study examines the emergence of overimitation in infants aged between 16 and 21 months to see if and how it is linked to social affiliation and other forms of imitation. The researchers found ...

AI Is Here to Stay, Let Students Embrace the Technology, Experts Urge

May 26, 2025 — A new study says students appear to be using generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) responsibly, and as a way to speed up tasks, not just boost their ...

Tiny Genetic Switch Found to Control Brain Balance and Behavior

May 26, 2025 — Researchers have identified a remarkably small but critical piece of genetic code that helps determine how brain cells connect, communicate, and function. The discovery not only deepens our understanding of how the brain's wiring is built but may ...

Potential New Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease, Other Neurodegenerative Conditions

May 26, 2025 — Worldwide, more than 55 million people suffer from dementia caused by Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and other conditions that destroy cells in the brain and nervous system. While there is no treatment to ...

Scientists Design Gene Delivery Systems for Cells in the Brain and Spinal Cord

May 21, 2025 — Research teams have created a versatile set of gene delivery systems that can reach different neural cell types in the human brain and spinal cord with exceptional accuracy. These delivery systems ...

How Molecules Can 'Remember' and Contribute to Memory and Learning

May 20, 2025 — Researchers have discovered how an ion channel in the brain's neurons has a kind of 'molecular memory', which contributes to the formation and preservation of lifelong memories. The researchers have identified a specific part of the ion channel at ...

Marfan Syndrome Increases Risk of Brain Alterations

May 16, 2025 — A study reveals that inflammation associated with Marfan syndrome increases vulnerability to neurological diseases and complications following strokes, as demonstrated in animal ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:56am EDT

Study Sheds Light on How Autistic People Communicate

May 14, 2025 — There is no significant difference in the effectiveness of how autistic and non-autistic people communicate, according to a new study, challenging the stereotype that autistic people struggle to ...

Postpartum Depression and Bonding: Long-Term Effects on School-Age Children

May 14, 2025 — Postpartum maternal mental health and mother-to-infant bonding are well-established as critical factors in a child's psychosocial development. However, few studies have explored the combined impact ...

Hormone Cycles Shape the Structure and Function of Key Memory Regions in the Brain

May 13, 2025 — Hormone levels fluctuate like the tides, ebbing and flowing according to carefully orchestrated cycles. These hormones not only influence the body, ...

CAR-T Cell Therapy for Cancer Causes 'Brain Fog,' Study Shows

May 12, 2025 — Cancer treatment with a cell-based immunotherapy causes mild cognitive impairment, a Stanford Medicine team found. They also identified compounds that could treat ...

How Individuals Grasp an Object May Offer Simpler Diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorder

May 9, 2025 — Getting a timely diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is a major challenge, but new research shows that how young adults, and potentially children, ...

Gorilla Study Reveals Complex Pros and Cons of Friendship

May 5, 2025 — Friendship comes with complex pros and cons -- possibly explaining why some individuals are less sociable, according to a new study of ...

Teens With Mental Health Conditions Use Social Media Differently Than Their Peers, Study Suggests

May 5, 2025 — One of the first studies in this area to use clinical-level diagnoses reveals a range of differences between young people with and without mental ...

STEM Students: Work Hard, but Don't Compare Yourself to Others

May 4, 2025 — A new study shows how damaging it can be for college students in introductory STEM classes to compare how hard they work to the extent of effort put in by their ...

Mechanism by Which the Brain Weighs Positive Vs. Negative Social Experience Is Revealed

May 2, 2025 — Researchers have identified the neural mechanisms in the brain that regulate both positive and negative impressions of a social encounter, as well as ...

Gene Circuits Enable More Precise Control of Gene Therapy

May 1, 2025 — To help achieve more precise control of gene therapy, engineers have designed a new control circuit that can keep gene expression levels within a target range. The method could be used to deliver ...

In Down Syndrome Mice, 40Hz Light and Sound Improve Cognition, Neurogenesis, Connectivity

Apr. 25, 2025 — A new study provides new evidence that sensory stimulation of a gamma-frequency brain rhythm may promote broad-based restorative neurological health ...

Metabolic Syndrome Linked to Increased Risk of Young-Onset Dementia

Apr. 23, 2025 — Having a larger waistline, high blood pressure and other risk factors that make up metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of young-onset dementia, according to a new study. ...

Study Shows Addressing Working Memory Can Help Students With Math Difficulty Improve Word Problem-Solving Skills

Apr. 21, 2025 — Working memory is like a mental chalkboard we use to store temporary information while executing other tasks. Scientists worked with more than 200 elementary students to test their working memory, ...

Engineered Microglia Show Promise for Treating Alzheimer's and Other Brain Diseases

Apr. 21, 2025 — A new way to deliver disease-fighting proteins throughout the brain may improve the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders, according to scientists. By engineering ...

Simulating Protein Structures Involved in Memory Formation

Apr. 16, 2025 — Complex protein interactions at synapses are essential for memory formation in our brains, but the mechanisms behind these processes remain poorly understood. Now, researchers have developed a ...

Nurturing Now, Thriving Later: The Lasting Power of Affectionate Mothering

Apr. 16, 2025 — Affectionate mothering in childhood may have a lasting impact on important personality traits, potentially influencing life outcomes such as educational achievement, economic success, and health and ...

Scientists Identify Key Enzyme in Alzheimer's Disease That Links Brain Inflammation to Memory Loss

Apr. 14, 2025 — A research team has identified a previously unknown enzyme, SIRT2, that plays a key role in memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study provides critical insights into how ...

Scientists Develop Process Using Molecules in the Cell to Identify Environmental Signals

Apr. 10, 2025 — Scientists have transformed RNA, a biological molecule present in all living cells, into a biosensor that can detect tiny chemicals relevant to human health. Research by scientists centers on RNA, a ...

New Genetic Cause of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Apr. 10, 2025 — A seminal study has uncovered a new genetic cause of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). The discovery offers both closure and hope to potentially thousands of families worldwide who have long been ...

Groundbreaking Study Reveals Changes in Brain Cell Composition and Gene Activity in Tourette Syndrome

Apr. 8, 2025 — In the first comprehensive, cell-by-cell analysis of brain tissue from individuals with Tourette syndrome, researchers have pinpointed exactly which cells are perturbed and how they malfunction, ...

First Insights Into How Excitatory and Inhibitory Brain Signals Change as People Age Using Wearable Scanner

Apr. 7, 2025 — A study has shown how aspects of brain function change with age, revealing that excitatory processes in the brain decrease, while inhibitory processes increase as children get older. The findings are ...

Molecules That Fight Infection Also Act on the Brain, Inducing Anxiety or Sociability

Apr. 7, 2025 — Scientists find the protein IL-17 that fights infection also acts on the brain, inducing anxiety or sociability. This adds to evidence that immune molecules can influence behavior during ...

Balance Between Two Competing Nerve Proteins Deters Symptoms of Autism in Mice

Apr. 1, 2025 — In mice, autism symptoms arise when a certain pair of competing nerve proteins falls out of equilibrium, according to a new ...

New Clue on What Is Leading to Neurodegenerative Diseases Like Alzheimer's and ALS

Mar. 14, 2025 — Researchers have revealed a new scientific clue that could unlock the key cellular pathway leading to devastating neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral ...

Teaching Kids How to Become Better Citizens

Mar. 3, 2025 — In our polarized society, a new study offers hope for the future: Even young children can learn to discuss and argue about meaningful problems in a respectful and productive way. Researchers found ...

Nuns Contribute 30 Years of Critical Insight Into Dementia Disorders

Feb. 26, 2025 — Researchers published a study analyzing more than 30 years of aging and dementia patterns of 678 ...

Unraveling the Brain's Hidden Motor Modules

Feb. 26, 2025 — Scientists have identified previously unknown neural modules in the brain that control movement and adapt during skill learning. Their findings challenge long-held ideas about how the brain organizes ...

Clashing With Classmates: Off-Putting Traits Spark Enemy Relationships

Feb. 25, 2025 — Making enemies isn't random. Traits like emotional instability, aggression, and disruptive behavior early in life can lead to antagonistic relationships. Research on students aged 9-14 found ...

New AI Model Measures How Fast the Brain Ages

Feb. 24, 2025 — A new artificial intelligence model measures how fast a patient's brain is aging and could be a powerful new tool for understanding, preventing and treating cognitive decline and ...

Narcissists More Likely to Feel Ostracized

Feb. 20, 2025 — Narcissists feel ostracized more frequently than their less self-absorbed peers, according to researchers. This may stem not only from being shunned due to their personalities but from a tendency to ...