The better an autistic child's perceptual abilities at preschool age, the higher they tend to score on IQ tests at school age. Autism Both executive functioning and IQ are linked to adaptive skill levels in autistic adults.

Autistic people tend to have fewer GABA-ergic interneurons than non-autistic people, and autistic people with intellectual disability have the fewest. Autism Young children who attend more to the toys than to an ongoing social interaction in a video, as measured by eye tracking, are less likely to engage with their parents while playing with their own toys. Autism Research Glutamate AMPA receptors accumulate in the dendritic spines of motor cortex neurons of wildtype mice after the animals learn a motor skill, an upregulation that is absent in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome. eNeuro Rats exposed to particulate-matter air pollution show autism-like behaviors that seem to be accompanied by changes in SHANK3 expression and methylation. Heliyon Repetitive behaviors in children with behavioral, emotional or cognitive difficulties -not only in those with autism -are associated with heightened anxiety levels. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience Autistic toddlers are less likely than those with other neurodevelopmental conditions to have gastrointestinal or sleep problems, though they still have high rates of both issues. Clinical Pediatrics Human neurodevelopment: Connections between the thalamus and the cortex are evident by 9 to 10 weeks after conception.

Research roundupArabic version of the Motor Behavior Checklist has been validated for use in school settings. Research in Developmental Disabilities Neurons lacking CNTNAP2 have fewer neurites than controls do, leading to alterations in excitatory circuits. Biological Psychiatry The U.K.-based Spectrum 10K genetics study launched a three-month consultation at the beginning of March, seeking input from autistic people. Feedback from the autistic selfadvocate community led to the study being put on hold in 2021, Spectrum previously reported. Spectrum 10K Post-synaptic densities have lowered actin levels in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome. NeuronMyelin maturation and decreasing amplitude of cortical intrinsic activity characterize brain development in adolescents, as measured by functional MRI. Nature Neuroscience NeuronChat is a computational tool that combines spatially resolved transcriptome measures with a database of molecular interactions between neurotransmitters and their targets to characterize neuronal pathways. Nature Communications A protein delivery system, derived from a bacterial tool, can be engineered to target human cells. Nature Autistic adults have more difficulty comprehending metaphors than do non-autistic adults, according to a small study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Diagnostic instruments for autism are not intended to provide a final answer but to contribute information that may guide clinical care.

Neurons can be categorized into distinct morphological subtypes based on their dendrites and axons, which may offer new insights into brain architecture. Nature Neuroscience Astrocytes support neural function, synaptic maturation and myelin integrity, and astrocyte dysfunction is implicated in many neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions, according to a review article. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Researchers were unable to replicate previously reported findings on the direct imaging of neural activity in anesthetized mice, they report in a preprint. bioRxiv A new journal aims to examine "pathologized" aspects of research on communication and disability, its editors write in the inaugural issue. Journal of Critical Study of Communication and DisabilityThe International Society for Autism Research has announced that previously recorded INSAR 2023 sessions can be temporarily viewed online starting in June. International Society for Autism ResearchResearchers have developed miniature headphones for rats, to deliver sound stimuli in sensory-processing studies. eNeuro Sound control: Customized rat headphones enable researchers to deliver auditory stimuli with precision.