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neurodevelopment

·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.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 3, 2025·8 min read

Maternal Diet Influences ADHD and Autism Risk

A large study analyzing over 60,000 mother-child pairs found that a Western diet during pregnancy—high in fat, sugar, and processed foods—was associated with a significantly increased risk of ADHD and autism in children. Even small shifts toward a Western diet correlated with a 66% higher risk of ADHD and a 122% higher risk of autism.

This shows adults, children and speech bubbles.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 1, 2025·4 min read

Multilingualism Starts Early: Study Challenges View on Language Learning

A new study of 121 infants in Accra, Ghana, reveals that babies regularly hear between two and six languages from multiple caregivers. Unlike the Western model of learning one language from a primary caregiver, these children acquire language through a dynamic social environment.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·February 25, 2025·8 min read

Adverse Childhood Experiences Impact Brain Development and Mental Health

A decade-long study reveals how childhood adversity alters brain development, increasing risks for mental health disorders and substance use. Researchers found that teens who experienced early adversity showed delayed cognitive control, with unusual brain activity in regions linked to self-regulation.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·February 18, 2025·4 min read

Early Life Stress Rewires Brain Circuits Linked to Social Motivation

New research shows that early life stress disrupts dopamine signaling, altering social motivation and behavior. Scientists found that mice raised in stressful conditions were less likely to engage in social interactions compared to those with enriched experiences.

This shows the outline of a teen, a clock and a brain.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·February 18, 2025·5 min read

How the Body’s Clock Influences Eating and Weight Gain in Teens

A new study reveals that the body’s internal clock plays a key role in eating behavior, influencing when and how much adolescents eat. Researchers found that teens with overweight or obesity consumed significantly more calories later in the day compared to those with a healthy weight. By isolating circadian influences from environmental and behavioral factors, they confirmed that food intake peaks in the late afternoon and evening regardless of sleep duration or external time cues.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·February 18, 2025·4 min read

Prenatal Stress Hormones Alter Brain Development

Environmental factors like stress and medication exposure during pregnancy can shape brain development, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Researchers used brain organoids to study the effects of synthetic glucocorticoids, commonly given to prevent complications in premature births.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·January 31, 2025·7 min read

Genetics, Not Maternal Sickness, Drives Autism Risk

A large study analyzing over 1.1 million pregnancies found no strong evidence that maternal health conditions during pregnancy cause autism. Instead, nearly all previously reported associations between maternal diagnoses and autism could be explained by genetic or environmental factors.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·January 30, 2025·5 min read

Unhealthy Diet Linked to Faster Biological Aging in Young Adults

Diets high in processed meat, fast food, and sugary drinks accelerate biological aging, even in young adults. Researchers measured biological age using epigenetic clocks, which track gene regulation changes over time. Participants with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables showed slower aging, suggesting dietary choices influence how quickly the body ages.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·January 28, 2025·3 min read

Empathy Peaks in Young Adults

A new study reveals that young adults show the strongest empathic responses to others in physical or social pain, compared to adolescents and older adults. Researchers measured brain activity while participants viewed painful situations, finding that empathy responses develop with age but peak in young adulthood.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·January 28, 2025·5 min read

Mouse With Two Male Parents Survives to Adulthood

Researchers have successfully engineered bi-paternal mice, born from two male parents, that survived to adulthood using embryonic stem cell techniques. By modifying 20 key imprinting genes, they overcame the developmental barriers that previously limited unisexual reproduction in mammals.