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brain development

Electrophysiology Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·October 16, 2017·2 min read

Learning During Development is Regulated by an Unexpected Brain Region

Researchers report the thalamus plays a critical role in regulating how the brain learns to integrate binocular input during development.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·October 9, 2017·4 min read

Brain Development and Plasticity Share Similar Signalling Pathways

Researchers have identified three molecules they believe could be key for memory and learning.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 8, 2017·4 min read

Traffic Pollution Prevents Children’s Brains From Reaching Their Full Potential

Previous research has linked traffic pollution to brain development issues in children. A new paper looks at steps being taken to improve air quality and reduce the impact of air pollution on neurodevelopment.

Image shows a woman looking at a drink of whiskey.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 4, 2017·5 min read

Study Pokes Holes in Fetal Alcohol Hypothesis

A new study challenges conventional beliefs about fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Researchers discovered no differences in microglia activity in the brains of health mice and those exposed to alcohol during early development. The study brings into question the whether the brain's immune system cells are to blame for the neurological damage that occurs as a result of fetal alcohol exposure.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·September 28, 2017·3 min read

How the Brain Develops Before Birth is Tightly Controlled by RNA Modifications

A new study sheds light on how the brain grows during early stages of embryonic development.

Featured Genetics Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·September 25, 2017·4 min read

Gene Associated With Schizophrenia Risk Regulates Early Brain Development

ZNF804A, a gene that contributes to schizophrenia also affects brain function and structure during early stages of fetal development, researchers report.

Image shows a preteen girl sitting next to a window.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 25, 2017·6 min read

Child Abuse Can Impair Brain Wiring

McGill researchers report those who suffer from traumatic experiences during childhood, like severe abuse, show significant abnormalities in the structure and cell function in the anterior cingulate cortex, an area of the brain associated with emotion and mood regulation. Researchers believe these changes may contribute to depressive disorders and suicidal ideations, often considered a long term effect of trauma suffered during early life.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 25, 2017·5 min read

Maternal Diet Could Affect Kid’s Brain Reward Circuitry

Researchers report rats that ate fatty or junk foods during pregnancy tended to have heavier pups that preferred the taste of fat directly following weaning. They also noted mothers who ate energy rich food either during pregnancy or while breastfeeding had an increased risk of their children becoming obese later in life.

Autism Featured Neurology Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·September 22, 2017·6 min read

Infection in Pregnant Pigs Leads to Antisocial Piglets

Recent studies have reported on a link between maternal infection and subsequent higher risk of autism in offspring. A new study from ACES reports similar findings in pigs. Mother pigs who develop infection during pregnancy have a higher risk of their piglets developing antisocial problems.

Autism Featured Genetics

·September 20, 2017·5 min read

Faulty Cell Signaling Derails Cerebral Cortex Development, Could It Lead to Autism?

Researchers reveal the deletion of a specific protein in progenitor cells leads to disrupted brain development.

Featured Neurology Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 15, 2017·4 min read

Memory Decline After Head Injury May Be Prevented by Slowing Brain Cell Growth

Excessive neurogenesis following brain injury may lead to neurological problems and cognitive decline researchers report. The findings challenge common assumptions that excessive brain cell growth following injury is advantageous.

Image shows the brain structural changes at age 13.

Featured Neuroscience Neuroscience Videos Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·September 13, 2017·4 min read

Teens’ Ability to Consider the Intentions of Others Linked to Structural Changes in the Brain

A new Scientific Reports study links structural changes in the teenage brain to behavioral changes when it comes to understanding the intention of others.