Autism News

April 30, 2025

Top Headlines

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 ...

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 searching for answers. The study reveals that ...

Gestational Diabetes Linked to ADHD in Children

Apr. 14, 2025 — A new study has found children born to mothers who experienced gestational diabetes (GDM) during pregnancy are more likely to develop attention-deficient hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and externalizing ...

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 ...

Latest Headlines

updated 2:15pm EDT

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 ...

Repetitive Behaviors and Special Interests Are More Indicative of an Autism Diagnosis Than a Lack of Social Skills

Mar. 26, 2025 — People with autism are typically diagnosed by clinical observation and assessment. To deconstruct the clinical decision process, which is often ...

Insomniac Fruit Fly Mutants Show Enhanced Memory Despite Severe Sleep Loss

Mar. 20, 2025 — Fruit fly mutants that have severe sleep deficits perform better at olfactory learning and memory tasks, according to a new study. The paradox of enhanced memory despite sleep loss could be explained ...

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Brain Switchboard Found

Mar. 5, 2025 — Researchers have revealed neural circuits in the brainstem that are crucially involved in implementing decisions by controlling three fundamental behavioral states or strategies: perseverance, ...

Decoding the Neural Basis of Affective Empathy: How the Brain Feels Others' Pain

Mar. 10, 2025 — A research team has uncovered key insights into how the brain processes others' distress. Using miniature endoscopic calcium imaging, the researchers ...

Don't Let This Stress You out

Mar. 3, 2025 — Having one traumatic experience is bad enough. If you've constantly experienced stress since before birth, you may be in for an especially tough time. Our emotions may be influenced by infections ...

AI Accelerates Discovery of Neurodevelopmental Disorder-Associated Genes

Feb. 26, 2025 — Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) approach that accelerates the identification of genes that contribute to neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, ...

A Single Protein May Have Helped Shape the Emergence of Spoken Language

Feb. 18, 2025 — How much does the evolution of human speech owe to one amino ...

Even After Learning the Right Idea, Humans and Animals Still Seem to Test Other Approaches, Study Suggests

Feb. 18, 2025 — New research adds evidence that learning a successful strategy for approaching a task doesn't prevent further exploration, even if it reduces ...

No Evidence That Maternal Sickness During Pregnancy Causes Autism, Study Finds

Jan. 31, 2025 — While many studies have reported a link between a mother's health condition during pregnancy and her child's risk of autism, a new study shows that ...

3D-Printed Brain-Like Environment Promotes Neuron Growth

Jan. 30, 2025 — Key cells in the brain, neurons, form networks by exchanging signals, enabling the brain to learn and adapt at incredible speed. Researchers have now developed a 3D-printed 'brain-like ...

The Benefits of Speaking Multiple Languages

Jan. 29, 2025 — New psychology research indicates that multilingual children may have enhanced executive function and perspective taking ...

Innovative One-Minute Video Game Boasts 80% Success Rate in Diagnosing Autism

Jan. 28, 2025 — A new one-minute video game is able to accurately and efficiently identify children with autism from those who have ADHD or are ...

Study Links Gene Regulating Brain Circuit Formation to Autism and Seizures

Jan. 8, 2025 — A new study offers insights into how the gene neuropilin2 contributes to the development of behavioral changes associated with autism spectrum disorder and ...

Mixed Signals: How the Brain Interprets Social Cues

Jan. 6, 2025 — Researchers have found that smell and sound signals merge in the mouse brain's hearing center, influencing social behaviors like pup retrieval. The discovery may lead to a better understanding ...

Multilingualism Improves Crucial Cognitive Functions in Autistic Children, Study Finds

Jan. 3, 2025 — A new study adds to the growing body of evidence on the cognitive benefits of speaking multiple languages, finding that multilingualism not only enhances general cognitive abilities but also may help ...

Developmental Disorder Discovery Could Lead to Better Treatments for Rett Syndrome

Dec. 19, 2024 — New discoveries about the severe developmental disorder known as Rett syndrome could open the door to better treatments for the devastating, life-shortening ...

Genetic Discovery Links New Gene to Autism Spectrum Disorder

Dec. 19, 2024 — New research has identified previously unknown genetic links to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), providing new insights into the genetic underpinnings of the ...

New Study Reveals How Brain Stimulation Improves Cognition, Decision-Making in Mental Health Disorders

Dec. 19, 2024 — Researchers have uncovered important insights that could improve how mental health conditions are treated with brain stimulation therapy -- a treatment where electrical signals are used to stimulate ...

Molecular Events Leading to Rett Syndrome

Dec. 16, 2024 — Researchers have gained new insights into the molecular changes leading to Rett syndrome, a severe neurological disorder caused by mutations in the MeCP2 gene encoding methyl-CpG binding protein 2 ...

Sculpting the Brain (Without Chisel or Scalpel)

Dec. 10, 2024 — Researchers report that they have successfully tested a novel approach for teaching the human brain to learn through external manipulation and neural feedback -- what they call the ...

Unlocking the Science of Sleep: How Rest Enhances Language Learning

Dec. 5, 2024 — Sleep is critical for all sorts of reasons, but a team of international scientists has discovered a new incentive for getting eight hours of sleep every night: it helps the brain to store and learn a ...

Key Breakthrough in Autism: Pivotal Role of CPEB4 Condensates Revealed

Dec. 4, 2024 — A new study unveils how the lack of a fraction of the CPEB4 protein causes a decrease in the expression of genes that are crucial for neuronal ...

Animal Characters Can Boost Young Children's Psychological Development

Nov. 22, 2024 — A study has shown that iconic characters such as Peter Rabbit -- or Toad and Ratty from The Wind in the Willows -- can also play an important role in the development of children's theory of mind ...

Brain-Based Visual Impairment in Children

Nov. 19, 2024 — Experts have identified five elements of a brain-based condition that has emerged as a leading cause of vision impairment starting in childhood in the United States and other industrialized nations. ...

Children Exposed to Antiseizure Meds During Pregnancy Face Neurodevelopmental Risks, Study Finds

Nov. 15, 2024 — Children born to mothers who take antiseizure medications to manage seizures and psychiatric conditions during pregnancy may face increased risks of neurodevelopmental conditions, according to new ...

Standardized Autism Screening During Pediatric Well Visits Identified More, Younger Children With High Likelihood for Autism Diagnosis

Nov. 14, 2024 — New research found that the use of standardized autism screening during pediatric well-child visits identifies more children with high autism likelihood at a younger age, including those presenting ...

Autistic Traits Shape How We Explore

Oct. 31, 2024 — People with stronger autistic trails showed distinct exploration patterns and higher levels of persistence in a computer game, ultimately resulting in better performance than people with lower scores ...

Your Brain Is Ahead, Predicting the World

Oct. 30, 2024 — Your brain not only processes what you see but continuously makes predictions based on your experiences. This process may be less fine-tuned in people with autism, research ...

Let Sleeping Babies Lie: Scientists Highlight Negative Impacts of Sleep Disruption on Early Brain Development

Oct. 23, 2024 — Researchers show how sleep loss during early life impacts key aspects of brain development and how it can increase one's risk for developing autism spectrum ...