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International Meeting for Autism Research 2013

IMFAR 2013

IMFAR 2013: Autism or ‘autisms’?

by  /  6 May 2013
Conversations with researchers at the 2013 International Meeting for Autism Research in San Sebastián, Spain, raised provocative questions about the nature of autism. How do we make sense of its staggering heterogeneity, multiple genetic causes and widespread overlap with other disorders?
IMFAR 2013

Gender differences take center stage at autism conference

by  /  4 May 2013
Girls with autism carry more mutations than do boys with the disorder, and show greater differences in brain activity and response to social cues, according to several preliminary studies presented at the 2013 International Meeting for Autism Research in San Sebastián, Spain.
IMFAR 2013

Statins improve symptoms of Rett syndrome in mice

by  /  4 May 2013
Defects in cholesterol metabolism may influence the severity of Rett syndrome, suggesting a treatment for the autism-related disorder, according to research presented Thursday at the 2013 International Meeting for Autism Research in San Sebastián, Spain.
May 2013
IMFAR 2013

Scientists home in on key spot in brain for autism risk

by  /  4 May 2013

By analyzing the expression patterns of nine candidate genes for autism, researchers have identified a population of cells and a select time during fetal development that may be key to the disorder.

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IMFAR 2013

Study links pupillary reflex, heart rate in autism

by  /  4 May 2013

More than half of children with autism have a delayed pupillary response to light, along with a high heart rate and other physiological features, according an unpublished study presented Thursday at the 2013 International Meeting for Autism Research in San Sebastián, Spain.

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IMFAR 2013

Reactions from IMFAR 2013

by  /  3 May 2013

We checked in from the 2013 International Meeting for Autism Research with daily reactions from this year’s attendees.

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IMFAR 2013

Short diagnostic test shows high specificity for autism

by  /  3 May 2013

A ten-minute screen combining a parent questionnaire and home video can detect autism with 90 percent specificity, according to unpublished research presented Thursday at the 2013 International Meeting for Autism Research in San Sebastián, Spain.

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IMFAR 2013

Identity of autism-linked maternal antibodies revealed

by  /  2 May 2013

Researchers have identified six fetal brain proteins that bind to maternal antibodies, which are thought to trigger changes to the fetal brain and raise the risk of autism. They presented their findings today at the International Meeting for Autism Research in San Sebastián, Spain.

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IMFAR 2013

New brain bank set to collect samples for autism research

by  /  2 May 2013

A new initiative aims to collect brain tissue for autism research, adding welcome resources to the struggling Autism Tissue Program, according to an announcement today at the 2013 International Meeting for Autism Research in San Sebastián, Spain.

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IMFAR 2013

Reward study questions autism mouse model’s relevance

by  /  2 May 2013

The BTBR mouse model, an asocial strain often used to study autism, may not be optimal for autism research, suggests an unpublished study presented today at the 2013 International Meeting for Autism Research in San Sebastián, Spain.

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IMFAR 2013

Behavioral therapy normalizes activity in autism brains

by  /  2 May 2013

Pivotal response training, a form of behavioral therapy for autism, alters brain activity in children with the disorder, normalizing it in some regions and triggering compensatory activity in others, according to a small study. The unpublished results were presented Wednesday at the International Meeting for Autism Research in San Sebastián, Spain.

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