For several years now, scientists have been testing the hypothesis that one particular hormone, oxytocin, plays a role in autism. It seems logical: After all, …
Tag: autism
Brain cell spheres in a lab dish mimic human cortex, Stanford study says
Mental disorders like autism and schizophrenia are notoriously difficult to study at the molecular level. Understandably, people are reluctant to donate pieces of living brain …
Genetic testing, autism, and “fixing” the pathological body
How do we know what is pathological, versus what is normal? It seems obvious until you start thinking philosophically, which was the goal of a …
Unlocking autism’s secrets: Stanford researchers point fingers at a brain cell dark horse
Geneticist Michael Snyder, PhD, has a thing for ‘omes.’ He’s studied genomes, transcriptomes, proteomes and microbiomes. Each term represents looking at something (DNA, RNA, proteins …
Thinking in pictures: Stanford hosts Temple Grandin
Earlier this week, I got to hear a presentation by Colorado State University animal behavior expert Temple Grandin, PhD, who is widely known not just …
A conversation with autism activist and animal behavior expert Temple Grandin
In the inspiring film, "Temple Grandin," we learn the remarkable story of a woman born with autism who, as a young child, communicates through screaming …
Study validates oxytocin levels in blood and suggests oxytocin may be a biomarker of anxiety
Oxytocin, sometimes dubbed "the love hormone," can be tricky to study in humans. To conduct research on the connection between oxytocin and emotion, scientists want …
Parents can learn autism therapy in groups to improve kids’ verbal skills, Stanford study shows
Autism is more than twice as common than it was 15 years ago. But the number of clinicians who treat the developmental disorder is growing …
Discussing the brain in Spain: Nobel Laureate Thomas Südhof addresses the media
Stanford's newest Nobel laureate - Thomas Südhof, MD - talked with reporters from around the world during a conference call from Baeza, Spain, earlier today. …
Andrew Wakefield: 17 years of disputed research, and now a book
According to an article on Slate.com, Wakefield has a more than 20-year history of dodgy research practices, beginning with a 1993 paper in which he asserted that the measles virus causesCrohn's disease
According to an article on Slate.com, Wakefield has a more than 20-year history of dodgy research practices, beginning with a 1993 paper in which he asserted that the measles virus causesCrohn's disease