Research by Topic: brain

Podcast: From cells to anxiety

Published October 29, 2018

Dr. Inna Fishman from San Diego State University explains how findings from brain tissue helps scientists interpret data which studies how brain regions connect to each other and why this is important for understanding autism subgroups. Also, researchers from the Karolinska Institutet examine ADHD diagnosed in adults, and find it is similar to autism. Listen […]

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Podcast: The waterbed around your brain (and its role in sleep)

Published October 22, 2018

This week, Dr. Mark Shen from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill explains new findings looking at the fluid around the brain. It’s now seen in families even without a family history of ASD, the finding has now been seen in different independent studies, including those at the UC Davis MIND Institute in […]

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Spring 2018 Autism BrainNet newsletter available now

Published April 27, 2018

The Spring 2018 issue of the Autism BrainNet newsletter is out now! Among other news, it highlights recent research using its donated brain tissue resources in autism genetics and neuroanatomy, the science campaign Brain Awareness Week, and outreach efforts through Autism Speaks walks around the country. You can view and read this issue here.

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Podcast: Loss of skills in autism partially explained

Published March 19, 2018

On this week’s ASF podcast, regression—what is it and who can see it? Using the right tools, both parents and clinicians can see that many more children with autism than thought show regression, a gradual decline or loss of skills starting at around 12 months of age and showing continual declines until 36 months of […]

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Podcast: Commonly used drugs that may help autism

Published March 5, 2018

On this week’s podcast, Dr. Alycia Halladay overviews three new studies looking at commonly used drugs that may help autism not just by improving behavior, but also by how they impact the brain. Plus, a fun study about social media.

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The latest on understanding the brains of people with autism

Published October 23, 2017

In a new blog post, ASF CSO Alycia Halladay explains the newest research in understanding the brains of people with autism.

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Podcast: Brain tissue: what has it done for autism lately?

Published June 12, 2017

In order to ensure that researchers have enough brain tissue to understand autism spectrum disorders, the education and outreach campaign of the Autism BrainNet is being expanded past families to doctors and professionals that have access to tissue. One of these groups is neuropathologists. At their annual meeting this past week in Los Angeles, an […]

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ASF Fellow Featured in “Scientific American”

Published May 22, 2017

Dr. Donna Werling from UCSF, Autism Science Foundation fellow, was featured in “Scientific American” for her recent study on the differences between male and female brain development. Click here to learn more.

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Podcast: To see differences in the brains of males and females with autism, you have to look at the brains of males and females with autism

Published February 27, 2017

Last month, UC Davis researcher Dr. Cyndi Schumann used resources from the Autism BrainNet to look at what causes differences in the rates of diagnosis between males and females. Consistent with other studies on this topic, males and females do not show differences in the rates of autism genes, but rather in the way that the […]

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Autism BrainNet family’s brave decision featured on CNN

Published September 16, 2016

Released September 15, 2016, this new report on CNN highlights the importance of brain donation and brain tissue research. To learn more about the Autism BrainNet, click here.

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Brain tissue is used to identify commonalities across neuropsychiatric disorders

Published May 25, 2016

In a recent study published in Nature, Dr. Shannon Ellis looks past the sequence of genes and uses gene expression profiling to understand the similarities between autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.  Using brain tissue from people affected with these disorders provided through the Autism BrainNet, she demonstrates a common decrease in gene expression relating to […]

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ASF podcast summarizes the NIH workshop on regression

Published February 23, 2016

On Friday, February 19, the NIH organized a workshop on regression in autism.  It included autism researchers as well as neurobiologists studying regression in other disorders, specifically Rett Syndrome.  Rett Syndrome is characterized by a regression in symptoms around 18-30 months of age but is the result of a known genetic mutation.  Because the genetic mutation […]

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