SFARI NEWS

le:///Volumes/Macintosh HD/Users/pkaplin/Desktop/120529/...

29 May 2012

A Newsletter from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative

NEWS Funding agency seeks success in 'fast-fail' clinical trials New report finds DSM-5 criteria unlikely to exclude many VIEWPOINT Population-based studies key for assessing autism prevalence CONFERENCE NEWS: International Meeting for Autism Research 2012 In autism, head growth patterns vary by gender (For all reports from the 2012 International Meeting for Autism Research, click here) IN BRIEF Clinical research: Autism accompanied by many conditions Molecular mechanisms: Mutant mice show signs of autism Cognition and behavior: High IQ linked to anxiety in autism TOOLBOX Robot replaces neuroscientists in technique BLOG Social games Rinse and repeat

NEWS

Funding agency seeks success in 'fast-fail' clinical trials

A new initiative launched by the National Institute of Mental Health aims to redefine clinical trials for autism by funding short, biomarker-based studies that will allow investigators to quickly rule out ineffective compounds.

Read More >

1 of 4

5/29/12 5:03 PM

SFARI NEWS

le:///Volumes/Macintosh HD/Users/pkaplin/Desktop/120529/...

New report finds DSM-5 criteria unlikely to exclude many

Contrary to previous studies, preliminary results from field trials of the new criteria for diagnosing autism suggest it will capture people on the high-functioning end of the spectrum.

Read More >

VIEWPOINT

Population-based studies key for assessing autism prevalence

Studies of autism prevalence should screen a representative sample of all individuals in the population, even those with no indications of the disorder, says epidemiologist Young-Shin Kim.

Read More >

CONFERENCE NEWS: International Meeting for Autism Research 2012 (For all reports from the 2012 International Meeting for Autism Research, click here)

In autism, head growth patterns vary by gender

Girls diagnosed with autism have slower brain growth in the first year of their life than typically developing children, whereas boys' brains grow at the same rate as those of typical children, according to a population-based study in Norway.

Read More >

IN BRIEF

2 of 4

5/29/12 5:03 PM

SFARI NEWS

le:///Volumes/Macintosh HD/Users/pkaplin/Desktop/120529/...

Clinical research: Autism accompanied by many conditions

Health records of more than 14,000 people with autism show that they are more likely than the general population to suffer from a number of conditions, including immune disorders and gut problems. The results, published 12 April in PLoS One, suggest that doctors should carefully monitor their overall health.

Read More >

Molecular mechanisms: Mutant mice show signs of autism

Mice that are unable to produce a carbohydrate molecule that regulates cell growth show behaviors that resemble the core deficits of autism, according to a study published 27 March in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Read More >

Cognition and behavior: High IQ linked to anxiety in autism

A high intelligence quotient, a good understanding of social skills, and aggressiveness may all contribute to anxiety in children with autism, according to a study published 14 March in The Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Read More >

TOOLBOX

Robot replaces neuroscientists in technique

A robot can replace researchers in performing a painstaking technique that records neuronal signals in live animal brains, according to a study published 6 May in Nature Methods.

Read More >

3 of 4

5/29/12 5:03 PM

SFARI NEWS

le:///Volumes/Macintosh HD/Users/pkaplin/Desktop/120529/...

BLOG

Social games
Multiplayer games can help researchers identify differences in social behavior in people with autism.

Read More >

Rinse and repeat

Researchers typically use only one 'cohort,' a group of about three dozen mice, for a given set of experiments. When others repeat the experiments with a different set of animals, sometimes the results hold up, and sometimes they don't.

Read More >

160 Fifth Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10010 646.654.0066 sfari.org

Sent to *|EMAIL|* why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences *|LIST:ADDRESSLINE|*

4 of 4

5/29/12 5:03 PM