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brain development

·April 3, 2025·6 min read

MicroRNAs Guide Purkinje Cell Growth, Shedding Light on Autism Links

A new study reveals that microRNAs—tiny regulators of gene expression—play a crucial role in shaping Purkinje cells, rare brain neurons linked to movement and neurodevelopmental disorders. Using advanced genetic tools, researchers showed that disabling microRNAs during specific developmental windows impaired the cells’ growth and ability to form key connections.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 1, 2025·4 min read

Maternal Inflammation May Disrupt Infant Brain Wiring

A new study reveals that inflammation during pregnancy may impair neurodevelopment in infants by reducing CD11c-positive microglia—key immune cells that support brain myelination. These cells produce IGF-1, a protein critical for forming the myelin sheath that helps nerve signals travel efficiently.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 1, 2025·4 min read

Protein Imbalance Triggers Autism-Like Behavior

A new study reveals that autism-like symptoms in mice emerge when two nerve proteins—MDGA2 and BDNF—fall out of balance. MDGA2 typically keeps BDNF/TrkB signaling in check, but when MDGA2 levels drop, heightened neuronal activity and social impairments occur.

This shows the outline of a child and adult.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 1, 2025·4 min read

Childhood Adversity Dulls Joy and Deepens Daily Emotional Swings

A new study reveals that adverse childhood experiences make adults more emotionally reactive—not only to negative events, but also to positive ones.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 27, 2025·3 min read

Stronger Bonds Before Birth Shape Healthier Mother-Child Futures

A new study reveals that young mothers who feel emotionally connected to their unborn babies are more likely to form healthy, positive relationships with their children later. Researchers tracked 160 racially diverse, low-income mothers from pregnancy to their child’s toddler years, showing that prenatal bonding plays a key role in early childhood development.

This shows a child in a VR headset and a brain.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 25, 2025·6 min read

Virtual Reality Reveals Hidden Brain Patterns in Kids With ADHD

Researchers used a virtual reality game and functional MRI to uncover how children's brains with ADHD respond differently during active tasks. Unlike traditional brain scans taken during rest, this immersive approach revealed distinct patterns of neural communication in ADHD, especially in deeper brain structures.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·March 20, 2025·4 min read

Schizophrenia Risk May Begin in the Placenta

A new study highlights the placenta’s role in neuropsychiatric development, showing that DNA methylation influences gene expression tied to psychiatric disorders. Researchers found strong links between placental DNA methylation and conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 20, 2025·3 min read

Infant Memory Formation Begins Earlier Than Thought

New research challenges the idea that infants cannot form memories, showing that babies as young as 12 months old can encode experiences. Using fMRI scans, researchers found that the hippocampus, a brain region critical for memory, is active in infants during a memory task. These findings suggest that infantile amnesia—the inability to remember early childhood—may be due to retrieval failures rather than an inability to form memories. While humans cannot recall events from their first few years of life, evidence shows that early memories may persist but remain inaccessible.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 19, 2025·5 min read

Early-Life Adversity Reshapes Brain Development and Behavior

Early-life adversity affects over half of children worldwide, increasing the risk of cognitive and mental health issues later in life. A new review highlights how unpredictable sensory experiences, beyond traditional stressors like abuse and neglect, can disrupt brain development.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 11, 2025·5 min read

Childhood Abuse Doubles Psychiatric and Health Risks

New research finds that adults who experienced both physical and sexual abuse in childhood are about twice as likely to suffer chronic physical and mental health issues, such as depression, arthritis, asthma, and heart conditions. Even experiencing one type of abuse significantly increased the odds of adverse health outcomes in adulthood.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 11, 2025·5 min read

Eating Seafood Linked to Kinder, More Socially Skilled Young Children

Children who regularly eat seafood at age 7 exhibit more positive social behaviors—such as sharing, helping, and interacting kindly—by ages 7 and 9, compared to those who rarely consume seafood. This finding, from a large study tracking nearly 6,000 children, underscores seafood’s role in supporting behavioral and social development during childhood.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 10, 2025·4 min read

Prenatal Stress Timing Shapes Infant Stress Response

New research reveals that the timing of stress during pregnancy has gender-specific effects on infants, altering how boys and girls respond to stress differently. Scientists found mid-pregnancy stress has a stronger impact on girls' stress reactivity, while boys are more sensitive to stress experienced in late gestation.