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brain development

This shows a mom and baby surrounded by speech bubbles.

·September 4, 2025·5 min read

Why Babies Babble: New Clues Reveal Language Origins

Human babies’ babbling is more than cute noise—it’s a feedback-driven learning strategy that sets the foundation for language. A new study shows that marmoset monkeys, despite being distant relatives, also babble and learn faster when adults respond, suggesting a shared mechanism.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·August 30, 2025·5 min read

“Junk DNA” Plays Key Role in Brain Development and Disease

A new study shows that repetitive DNA, once dismissed as “junk,” plays a critical role in shaping the human brain. Scientists found that LINE-1 transposons, a type of mobile DNA element, are active in stem cells and regulate key genes during early brain development.

This shows a brain and an unkempt child standing alone.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 29, 2025·5 min read

Child Neglect Alone Alters Brain Pathways

A new neuroimaging study reveals that child neglect alone, without other forms of abuse, can alter critical brain pathways. Researchers found abnormalities in white matter regions tied to movement, attention, language, and emotional regulation.

This shows a family consulting with a doctor about treatments.

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·August 28, 2025·5 min read

Most Alternative Autism Treatments Unproven

A sweeping review of 248 meta-analyses on complementary and alternative medicines (CAIMs) for autism found no strong evidence to support their use. Researchers assessed 19 types of interventions, from music therapy to probiotics, but results were generally unreliable and safety evaluations were scarce.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 28, 2025·5 min read

Immune Cells Found to Shape Teen Brain Circuits

Adolescence is a critical period for the brain’s frontal cortex, where executive functions mature and vulnerabilities to psychiatric disorders emerge. A new study shows that microglia, the brain’s immune cells, directly shape dopamine circuits during this time by strengthening axonal connections.

This shows a mom and toddler looking at a tablet.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 26, 2025·5 min read

Baby Toolbox Transforms Early Infant Development Assessment

The NIH Baby Toolbox is a groundbreaking assessment system designed to evaluate infants’ and toddlers’ development from just 16 days old to 42 months. Using gaze-based learning and tablet-based tools, it allows clinicians and researchers to measure cognitive, motor, language, and social-emotional skills with unprecedented precision.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·August 20, 2025·5 min read

AI Tool Shows Exactly When Genes Turn On and Off

Researchers have developed an AI-powered tool called chronODE that models how genes turn on and off during brain development. By combining mathematics, machine learning, and genomic data, the method identifies exact “switching points” that determine when genes reach maximum activity.

This shows a pregnant woman and a brain surrounded by pills.

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·August 18, 2025·5 min read

Prenatal Acetaminophen Linked to Higher Autism, ADHD Risk

A new study has raised concerns about the safety of acetaminophen use during pregnancy, linking prenatal exposure to higher risks of autism and ADHD. Using the gold-standard Navigation Guide review method, the team analyzed 46 studies with over 100,000 participants, finding that stronger studies more consistently showed a connection.

This shows a pregnant woman in a field surrounded by "danger" signs.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 18, 2025·6 min read

Prenatal Pesticide Exposure Linked to Lasting Brain Damage in Children

A new study provides the strongest evidence yet that prenatal exposure to the insecticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) disrupts brain development, leaving children with structural abnormalities and impaired motor control well into adolescence. Using brain imaging and behavioral assessments of over 270 New York City children, researchers found that higher CPF exposure levels were directly linked to widespread changes in brain structure, function, and metabolism.

This shows a brain surrounded by microbes.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 14, 2025·4 min read

Microbes in the Womb and at Birth Help Sculpt the Newborn Brain

New research reveals that microbes play a crucial role in shaping a newborn’s brain both before and after birth. Using a mouse model, scientists showed that the absence of maternal microbes during pregnancy led to fewer neurons in the PVN—a brain region essential for stress, social behavior, and body regulation—regardless of whether the newborn later received microbial exposure.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·August 13, 2025·4 min read

Genetic Switch May Be Key to Human Brain’s Unique Abilities

Researchers have identified a genetic region, HAR123, that may help explain what makes the human brain unique. Acting as a transcriptional enhancer, HAR123 influences the development of neural progenitor cells, which give rise to neurons and glial cells, and plays a role in determining their ratio.

This shows a pregnant woman and a brain.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·August 12, 2025·4 min read

Pre-Pregnancy Obesity Linked to Autism Risk

A new study reveals how maternal obesity before pregnancy can program autism-related behaviors in offspring through lasting epigenetic changes in egg cells. Using IVF and embryo transfer in mice, researchers isolated the pre-conception effects, finding altered DNA methylation patterns that disrupted genes such as Homer1.

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brain development

Why Babies Babble: New Clues Reveal Language Origins

“Junk DNA” Plays Key Role in Brain Development and Disease

Child Neglect Alone Alters Brain Pathways

Most Alternative Autism Treatments Unproven

Immune Cells Found to Shape Teen Brain Circuits

Baby Toolbox Transforms Early Infant Development Assessment

AI Tool Shows Exactly When Genes Turn On and Off

Prenatal Acetaminophen Linked to Higher Autism, ADHD Risk

Prenatal Pesticide Exposure Linked to Lasting Brain Damage in Children

Microbes in the Womb and at Birth Help Sculpt the Newborn Brain

Genetic Switch May Be Key to Human Brain’s Unique Abilities

Pre-Pregnancy Obesity Linked to Autism Risk

Molecular Trigger for Alzheimer’s Brain Inflammation Found

Early-Life Metal Exposure Linked to Adolescent Brain Health

Faster AI Isn’t Always Perceived as Better

Wearable Sensors to Detect Early Autism Signs in Infancy

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