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developmental neuroscience

This shows a mom holding a baby with a clock in the background.

·September 6, 2025·5 min read

Breast Milk Has a Built-In Body Clock for Babies

Breast milk is more than nourishment—it delivers circadian cues that may shape infant sleep, immunity, and metabolism. Researchers analyzing milk samples found that melatonin peaked at night and cortisol in the early morning, while other immune-related proteins remained steady.

This shows the outline of a child's head and a brain.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 5, 2025·6 min read

Brain Structure Differences in Children with ADHD Discovered

Researchers tested a new MRI correction method, called the traveling-subject (TS) approach, to resolve inconsistencies in ADHD brain imaging results. By scanning the same healthy subjects across multiple MRI machines, they identified and corrected for measurement biases, producing more reliable data.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·September 4, 2025·5 min read

Autism Gene Found to Alter Brain’s Social Hormone Signals

A new study reveals how a mutation in the Shank3 gene, associated with autism, alters social behavior by disrupting vasopressin release in the brain. In mice, this mutation reduced sociability and defensive aggression by limiting vasopressin reaching the lateral septum.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 4, 2025·5 min read

Astrocyte Disruption Tied to Depression After Childhood Stress

Researchers have shown that astrocytes in the lateral hypothalamus play a pivotal role in how stress shapes behavior, particularly after early-life adversity. In mice, stress led to smaller, less branched astrocytes and abnormal orexin neuron activity, with sex-specific patterns in activity levels.

This shows a mom and baby surrounded by speech bubbles.

Featured Neuroscience

·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.