The largest study to date of leucovorin’s effectiveness for treating autism traits has been retracted because of data inconsistencies and statistical issues, according to a notice posted last week by the European Journal of Pediatrics. The study included 77 autistic children and is one of only five randomized clinical trials that have tested leucovorin, also […]
Illustration by Laurenne Boglio Welcome to the first monthly edition of Null and Noteworthy. We’ve doubled the newsletter’s frequency to deliver more notable null results and replications direct to your inbox. Thanks, as always, for your feedback, and please continue to send your thoughts, ideas, interesting studies and cat photos to laura@spectrumnews.org. Let’s dive in. […]
research roundup Copy number variations and other identifiable, likely pathogenic, chromosomal anomalies occur in about 21 percent of Han Chinese people with neurodevelopmental conditions, according to a cohort study. npj Genomic Medicine Gentle touch promotes social behavior in mice and is mediated by a neural pathway involving tachykinin and oxytocin. neuron Cannabinoids may help treat […]
New drug use: Trofinetide appears to ameliorate the features of Rett syndrome, but more data are needed. Investigational drug trofinetide, an insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) analogue, helps relieve problems like anxiety and breathing problems in girls and young women with Rett syndrome, according to unpublished results from a placebo-controlled study. Rett syndrome is caused […]
Illustration by Verónica Grech Today we released the first iteration of our Autism Drug Trial Tracker, which provides interactive, curated information on more than 200 clinical studies on autism and related diseases. The data that powers the web application is freely available, as is the code that was used to scrape the data. We intend […]
Illustration by Laurène Boglio Hello and welcome to the community newsletter! I am your host, Chelsey B. Coombs, the engagement editor of Spectrum. What do psychotherapists treating adults know about autism? A thread on a study on autism this week offered some insight. A blind spot in psychiatry? A study by a participatory autism research […]
Two senior Lancaster school district officials are expected to testify next week in a Commonwealth trial that could significantly change the way schools are funded in Pennsylvania. The trial, now in its second week, is based on a lawsuit filed by six school districts – including Lancaster – multiple parents and two statewide organizations against […]
Placebo Effect: According to a new study, intranasal oxytocin is unlikely to increase sociability in most autistic children. amriphoto / iStock An intranasal form of the hormone oxytocin is no more effective than placebo at improving social behavior in autistic children, according to perhaps the largest clinical study of the treatment to date. The results […]
Green light: A gene therapy trial for Angelman syndrome is set to resume after the FDA suspended it last November. Guido Mieth / Getty Images The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has paved the way for the resumption of a clinical trial of gene therapy for Angelman syndrome. The FDA suspended the study last […]
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, […]
