Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Researchers at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago have successfully induced empathy-like behavior in an experimental rodent model by manipulating a brain circuit as a new treatment for autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. ASD, one of the fastest-growing developmental disorders in the United States, can impair a person's ability to show empathy. There are currently no specific pharmacological therapies that target social impairments in ASD. The study was led by Chicago Medical School Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology Professor Amiel Rosenkranz and shows the role the amygdala has on autism. The amygdala is a region of the brain related to
Women with a thicker brain cortex are more likely to have autism
New Scientist
'Male brains' linked to higher autism risk in women, study says