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.