Researchers in Chicago are developing a new behavioral experiment to treat autism spectrum disorder. But, the study at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science is focusing on rodents, and not humans. None the less, the researchers have successfully induced empathetic behavior in rodents by manipulating a circuit in the brain. The study also highlighted an essential role the amygdala for those with autism, as that region of the brain regulates social behavior. The researchers focused on the amygdala, and discovered that rodents did not express empathetic responses when parts of their amygdala were shut down, indicating a link between that region of the brain and empathy.