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neurodevelopment

·July 12, 2017·6 min read

How Children Look at Mom’s Face Is Guided by Genetics and Disrupted in Autism

According to a new Nature paper, variation in how children seek social information is under genetic control. Such behaviors are decreases in children with autism, adding further evidence for the link between behavioral presentation in ASD and underlying genetics causes.

Autism Featured

·July 12, 2017·4 min read

Diet Not Connected to GI Problems in Autistic Children

A study recently presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research suggests gastrointestinal problems commonly seen in children with ASD may be a result of stress, and not diet, as previously assumed.

Featured Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·July 11, 2017·4 min read

Depression Affects Male and Female Brains Differently

Exposing depressed adolescents to positive and negative words elicited different effects in specific brain regions depending on the sex of the subject, a new Frontiers in Psychiatry study reports.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·July 10, 2017·4 min read

Decoding Brain Evolution

A new center headed by neurobiologists at Harvard is looking to unravel some long standing mysteries of the human brain. Researchers, backed by a $10 million grant, hope to shed light on brain development, evolution and human behavior. The funding will allow researchers to use ancient DNA to track frequency of genetic changes and provide a better understanding of the nature of human adaptation.

Featured Psychology

·July 5, 2017·5 min read

Marijuana Can Increase a Teenager’s Risk of Psychosis

According to researchers, teens who frequently use marijuana have a 159% increased risk of developing recurrent psychotic-like experiences. The new study also reflects on the effects of cannabis use with cognitive development.

Image shows a stick and ball model of serotonin.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·July 3, 2017·3 min read

High Serotonin Levels in Blood of SIDS Infants

A new paper may help answer some questions as to why some infants die suddenly. Looking at blood samples from infants who had died of SIDS, researchers discover 31% of the children had elevated levels of serotonin. The researchers concluded that abnormal serotonin metabolism could indicate an underlying vulnerability that increases SIDS risk.

Featured Psychology

·July 3, 2017·4 min read

Picture Overload Hinders Child’s Ability to Learn New Words in Storybooks

When it comes to teaching children new words and how to read, less is more for illustrations. Researchers find having more than one illustration per page hinders children's ability to learn new words.

Image shows a girl holding up a sign with the word Autsim on it.

Autism Featured Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·June 30, 2017·3 min read

Possible Early Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Researchers have devised a new technique that could help to provide an early diagnosis of autism. By measuring a set of proteins in the blood, researchers were able to diagnose ASD with 82% accuracy.

Featured Psychology

·June 30, 2017·5 min read

Researchers Find Link Between Food Allergies and Childhood Anxiety

A new study reveals a link between a food allergy diagnosis and social anxiety in children of low socioeconomic status. The study found 57% of children with food allergies report anxiety symptoms. Researchers suggest food allergies are linked to elevated social anxiety, fear of social rejection and also humiliation in children.

Image shows two little boys reading a book.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·June 29, 2017·5 min read

Higher IQ in Childhood Linked to a Longer Life

A new study reports higher intelligence in children is associated with a reduced risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, smoking related cancers and dementia. After taking several confounders into account, the researchers found higher IQ in childhood was associated with a lower risk of death until the age of 79.

Image shows the Gruffalo and mouse in the deep dark wood.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 28, 2017·5 min read

How ‘The Gruffalo’ Helped Academics Boost Youngsters’ Motor Skills and Language Ability

Using the children's book, "The Gruffalo", researchers devised a teaching approach that combined moment and storytelling activities. They report the children that participated in the combined activities showed greater improvement in both language and movement skills than those who were exposed to just one of the activities.

Autism Featured Genetics

·June 27, 2017·6 min read

Mice Provide Insight Into Genetics of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Researchers report that inducing mutation of the CHD8 gene, mice experience cognitive impairments and have increased brain volume. Both conditions are also seen in people with CHD8 mutations. The findings suggest CHD8 plays a role in brain function throughout life and could affect more that early brain development in people on the autism spectrum.