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Society for Neuroscience 2010

SFN 2010

Modeling captures mouse habitat’s effect on neurons

by  /  19 November 2010
Computerized three-dimensional modeling shows nerve cell abnormalities in the hippocampus of fragile X mice — and suggests the importance of raising experimental mice in more natural habitats, according to a poster presented Wednesday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.
SFN 2010

Movement study supports ‘extreme-male brain’ hypothesis

by  /  19 November 2010
People with autism are slower than controls at interpreting emotions expressed by physical movement, researchers reported Wednesday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.
SFN 2010

Antibiotic proves promising as fragile X treatment

by  /  19 November 2010
Minocycline, an antibiotic approved to treat various infections including acne, can increase vocalizations and provide long-lasting improvements in anxiety in a fragile X mouse model, according to two posters presented at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.
November 2010
SFN 2010

Video: Live from the brain, it’s neuron development

by  /  19 November 2010

Brain cells communicate across complex junctions called synapses, filled with proteins working to bind neurons together. Kurt Haas of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver has developed a method to watch neuron development in the growing tadpole brain.

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SFN 2010

Mouse model hints at Alzheimer’s therapies for fragile X

by  /  19 November 2010

Lowering the levels of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease can improve symptoms of fragile X syndrome in mice, according to a poster presented Wednesday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.

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SFN 2010

Congressman Kennedy calls for neuroscience ‘moonshot’

by  /  19 November 2010

Sharing stories about his own family’s struggles with neurological disease, Patrick J. Kennedy, a Democratic Congressman, on Monday called for a focused national program to uncover the causes and treatments for brain disorders. The challenge today, he told SFARI, is to devote enough resources for research on disorders such as autism.

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SFN 2010

Video: Why make neurons from children with autism?

by  /  19 November 2010

Ricardo Dolmetsch is making neurons from induced pluripotent stem cells derived from people with Timothy syndrome, a rare single-gene disorder that causes heart arrhythmias and autism. On Wednesday morning at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego, Dolmetsch talked to SFARI about how this approach could help autism research.

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SFN 2010

Potential biomarker found in urine of children with autism

by  /  18 November 2010

Young children with autism have high urine levels of a compound that is likely to be a product of gut bacteria, according to a poster presented Tuesday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.

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SFN 2010

Immune protein alters development in young mice

by  /  18 November 2010

Pregnant mice injected with the immune protein interleukin-6 give birth to pups that are less social than normal, an effect that results from the over-activation of two pathways critical in neurodevelopment, researchers reported Tuesday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.

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SFN 2010

Video: Mining genes from whole genomes

by  /  18 November 2010

Rapid advances in DNA sequencing technology are enabling researchers to comb quickly — and ever more cheaply — through whole genomes. At the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego, Evan Eichler talked to SFARI about what the rapid accumulation of genetic sequence information means for autism research.

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SFN 2010

Video: Pathways to discovering autism genes

by  /  18 November 2010

What makes a good candidate gene for autism? At the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego, John Rubenstein discussed two complementary ways to identify genes involved in autism: start with the DNA, or start with a hypothesis.

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SFN 2010

Making quick decisions more challenging for kids with autism

by  /  18 November 2010

Children with autism show more activity in a brain region important for making decisions under changing circumstances, according to a poster presented Monday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.

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SFN 2010

Automated cage helps diagnose social behavior

by  /  18 November 2010

Researchers have designed an automated cage assay to minimize the anxiety mice feel as they are being tested for social behavior. The new technique was presented at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.

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