Noticed across the net: Melatonin trial, striatum exercise, CNTNAP2 timing | Spectrum
Research summary
- Mutations in the TCF4 gene that cause a form of autism called Pitt-Hopkins syndrome can cause changes in the brain’s interneurons. Developmental Neuroscience
- Defining individual outcomes for adults with autism who have a range of skills and challenges could aid intervention studies. autism
- Pediatricians can help teenagers with autism clarify their own sexuality, including changing bodies, feelings, and behaviors. Pediatrics
- According to a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study, melatonin may reduce the time it takes to fall asleep in autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
- When talking to a stranger, people on the spectrum can use a range of camouflage behaviors. autism
- Autistic people seem to show less activation than non-autistic people in the striatum, an area of the brain that responds to reward. NeuroImage: Clinical
- Mice lacking the autism-related CNTNAP2 gene appear to be deficient in timing. Behavioral processes
- Many people on the spectrum do not like to speak by phone, preferring email or other written communication. autism
Science and society
- A residential facility opened in Worcester, Massachusetts for young adults on the spectrum moving to college or internship. Worcester magazine
- Researchers are wrestling over how to resume projects they’ve put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. STAT
- A bill in California that would address current gaps in the treatment of behavioral health treatments for children with autism has been approved by the state’s Senate Health Committee. Sierra Sun Times
Quote this article: https://doi.org/10.53053/KVDU1278