Stacked effects: A gene mutation and immune stimulation together can render mice less social. Photography by Richard Drury Activating the immune system blunts social behaviors in mice missing a copy of the autism-linked gene SHANK3, according to a new study. But blocking TRPV4, a gene that encodes an ion channel involved in inflammatory responses, can […]
LEXINGTON, KY. (January 19, 2022) — The University of Kentucky College of Education has received a $1,250,000 grant from the US Department of Education to provide tuition for students pursuing interdisciplinary education in the Applied Behavior Analysis and Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE) master’s programs. “Students from both programs will work side-by-side learning to work […]
Another approach that authoritarian parents sometimes use is psychological control. This is when parents play with children’s self-esteem and intrinsic worth to achieve desired behavior. It’s “a kind of control where you ask your child to think like you or feel like you,” explained Dr. Loeb. A parent using psychological control might say things like […]
Illustration by Laurène Boglio Hello and welcome to the community newsletter! I am your host, Chelsey B. Coombs, the engagement editor of Spectrum. As a reminder, Spectrum will be hosting a Twitter chat this week during the Society for Neuroscience conference. Join us on Wednesday, November 10th, 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM EST to chat […]
Anna Gui Postdoctoral researcher, Birkbeck, University of London Emily Jones professor, Birkbeck, University of London Advances in genetics have revolutionized our understanding of the origins of autism. We know that hundreds of genes with different functions can contribute to the disease, and many of these genes primarily affect the formation of the brain during prenatal […]
Both drug treatment and behavior therapy are considered effective treatments for children with ADHD; the combination of these treatments is generally considered to be the ideal approach for many children. While some professionals doubt whether behavior therapy is necessary when medication is effective in a child, many parents have concerns about stimulant drugs for their […]
Alan Lewis Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University Autism researchers routinely rely on a number of methods to precisely control the activity of certain neural circuits in the brains of conscious animals. They have used these methods extensively to examine the basic neural control of social behavior and how changes in brain circuitry can contribute to the […]
Extra spines: Mice with an extra copy of the MECP2 gene develop more spines on their motor cortex neurons (top) than wild-type mice during a learning task. An experimental drug normalizes this property (below). Neurons in mice with an autism-related mutation sprout outward protrusions, an overgrowth that is tracked with above-average motor learning. According to […]
In 1920 the Viennese psychiatrists Alfred and Rudolf Dreikurs argued that a child’s relationships with their family contribute significantly to their personal development. They argued that if parents gave in to their children too much, or were too revealing or dominant (and emotionally disappointing), it would lead to an inferiority in children and their perception […]
Q: “How is it that my child is only defiant at home but behaves well in school and with other people outside of our family?” I speak to hundreds of families of children with ADHD every year and I have found a common theme when the child’s behavior is okay at school but very difficult […]
