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neurodevelopment

·September 27, 2025·6 min read

Skin-to-Skin Contact Boosts Brain Development

Very preterm infants who received more skin-to-skin contact during their hospital stay showed stronger development in brain regions tied to stress and emotional regulation. Brain scans revealed that longer skin-to-skin sessions were linked to changes in white matter pathways that support attention, memory, and emotional health.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·September 25, 2025·4 min read

Infant Brain Gene Regulator May Predispose Adults to Dementia

A new study reveals that the brain’s vulnerability to disorders like multiple sclerosis and dementia may begin in early life. Researchers identified a developmental “switch” in astrocytes, the brain’s support cells, governed by the NR3C1 gene.

This shows a pregnant woman surrounded by viruses.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 24, 2025·6 min read

Severe Flu in Pregnancy Lets Harmful Molecules Reach Fetal Brain

A new study shows that severe flu infections in pregnant mice compromise both placental and brain barriers, allowing large molecules and fibrinogen to reach the fetal brain. These molecules accumulated in critical regions like the subventricular zone, where neural stem cells develop, raising concerns about long-term impacts on neurodevelopment.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·September 24, 2025·4 min read

Early Clues to Autism and Schizophrenia Risk Found in DNA

Summary: Researchers have built a detailed map of DNA methylation changes in nearly 1,000 human brains from six weeks after...

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·September 24, 2025·3 min read

Unlocking How Early Life Shapes the Brain

The first major data release from the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study has provided researchers with a groundbreaking resource to study early childhood brain development. This release includes detailed biomedical and behavioral data from more than 1,400 mothers and children, spanning pregnancy through nine months of age.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 22, 2025·3 min read

Prenatal Endocannabinoid Disruption Impacts Brain Wiring, Behavior

A new study shows that prenatal disruption of the endocannabinoid system can have long-lasting effects on brain structure and behavior. When scientists lowered the activity of an endocannabinoid receptor in the developing mouse brain, neurons failed to migrate properly, and key genes involved in brain development were altered.

This shows a boy and girl eating a snack.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 21, 2025·9 min read

Boys Adjust Calorie Intake After Snacks While Girls Keep Eating

A new study found that young boys adjusted their food intake at mealtime when they had already eaten a fruit snack, but girls did not. The findings suggest that boys are more likely to listen to their body’s signals of hunger and fullness, while girls may rely on social or environmental cues.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·September 20, 2025·5 min read

Dementia Prevention Must Begin in Childhood, Not Just Midlife

A large international study shows that the accumulation of social hardships across life—known as the social exposome—has lasting effects on the brain. Adverse exposures, including low education, food insecurity, and limited healthcare, were linked to cognitive decline, mental health issues, and altered brain structure and function.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 19, 2025·5 min read

Parenting Styles Shape Teen Anxiety

A new study shows that both mothers and fathers significantly shape their adolescent children’s social anxiety, but in different ways. Warmth, affection, and acceptance from either parent reduce anxiety, while rejection, coldness, and controlling behaviors heighten it.

This shows a happy pregnant woman cradling her belly.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 18, 2025·4 min read

Fetal Movements Boost Maternal Attachment

A new study shows that fetal movement frequency in late pregnancy is directly tied to stronger maternal-fetal attachment. Using an actocardiograph, researchers objectively measured movements and found that higher activity was associated with greater emotional bonding, even when controlling for other factors like maternal mood or gestational age.

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·September 16, 2025·8 min read

Opioid Use in Pregnancy Not Linked to Autism or ADHD Risk

A large-scale study analyzing over a million births in Sweden found no evidence that prescribed opioid pain medications during pregnancy cause autism or ADHD in children. While earlier data suggested a potential link, those associations largely disappeared after accounting for genetics, parental mental health, and shared family environment.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 15, 2025·4 min read

Simple Hair Test May Spot Mental Health Risks in Kids

Long-term stress, measured through hair cortisol, may help predict mental health risks in children living with chronic physical illnesses. In a four-year study of 244 children, researchers found that persistently high cortisol levels were strongly linked to anxiety, depression, and behavioral difficulties.