Autism Content

Experiments in Yeast Hint at Possible Origins of Cancer and Autism

Andy Fell — October 24, 2023 - 4:51pm

Cancer often starts with the reshuffling of DNA—akin to scrambling the pages of a dictionary. Exactly how this happens has long been a mystery. But researchers in the 51�ԹϺ�� Davis College of Biological Sciences have now arrived at one promising explanation.

VIDEO ADDED: ‘51�ԹϺ�� Davis LIVE’ on Autism Acceptance and Advances

Andy Fell — April 25, 2022 - 9:30am

New Insight on Maternal Infections and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Andy Fell — May 04, 2020 - 12:23pm

The immune responses of a female mouse before pregnancy can predict how likely her offspring are to have behavioral deficits if the immune system is activated during pregnancy, according to researchers from the Center for Neuroscience at the University of California, Davis. The findings, published April 23 in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, could help resolve what role serious infections during pregnancy play in the later development of conditions such as autism and schizophrenia in offspring.

New Study Suggests Ways to Alleviate Social Withdrawal Symptoms in Mental Illnesses

Karen Michele Nikos — April 27, 2020 - 3:43pm

Even as people are now being forced to social distance to avoid contracting coronavirus — a situation considered stressful for many — some people avoid social situations even under everyday circumstances. Social avoidance is a hallmark of a variety of psychiatric illnesses, including depression and anxiety disorders as well as autism.

Mice Provide Insight Into Genetics of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Andy Fell — June 26, 2017 - 3:01pm

While the definitive causes remain unclear, several genetic and environmental factors increase the likelihood of autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, a group of conditions covering a “spectrum” of symptoms, skills and levels of disability.

Researchers Temporarily Turn Off Brain Area to Better Understand Function

Andy Fell — July 20, 2016 - 5:07pm

Using experimental genetic techniques, 51�ԹϺ�� Davis researchers discover that "turning off" one area of the brain affects connections between other brain areas. The research has implications for understanding conditions such as schizophrenia and autism.

Newborn Horses Give Clues to Autism

Robyn Frances Huey — February 03, 2015 - 8:00am

Just a few hours after its birth, the long-legged brown foal stands in its stall, appearing on first glance to be sound, sturdy and healthy. But something is very wrong with this newborn horse.