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neurodevelopment

·May 4, 2025·5 min read

Two Key Signals Shape Brain Structure Early, Varying by Person

A new study has revealed how two morphogens, WNT and Sonic Hedgehog, act as molecular "traffic cops," directing early human brain development. Using a custom device and stem cell-derived organoids, researchers showed that exposure to these signals for just five days sets gene programs in motion that shape brain regions.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 3, 2025·6 min read

Writing by Hand Helps Children Learn Letters Better

A new study reveals that young children learn letters and word structures more effectively through handwriting than typing. Researchers taught 5- to 6-year-olds unfamiliar letters and pseudowords using either manual writing or keyboards.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 30, 2025·6 min read

Parents Often Miss Early Clues About How Kids Feel at School

Parents often misread how their children feel about school during their first year, usually taking a full year to align with their child’s actual experiences. While most parents believed their children enjoyed the classroom, many underestimated how much children liked the playground—and vice versa.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 30, 2025·7 min read

Girls With ADHD Face Higher Risk of Anxiety

A new study reveals that in girls, symptoms of inattentive-type ADHD significantly increase the likelihood of developing anxiety during adolescence. Inattention and anxiety appear to reinforce each other in girls, but not in boys, where hyperactivity is the more predictive factor.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 30, 2025·4 min read

Early Teen Depression May Be Easier to Treat Than in Adults

New research reveals that depression in young teens may be more treatable than in adults, thanks to more flexible and less entrenched symptom patterns. Using data from over 35,000 adolescents, researchers applied network analysis and a novel "network temperature" model to show that depressive symptoms stabilize with age, becoming more resistant to change.

$This shows kids in a classroom.$

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 30, 2025·7 min read

The Smart Way to Teach Math? Mix Speed with Strategy

A new review shows that children learn arithmetic most effectively through a structured approach that integrates conceptual understanding with brief timed practice and reflection. Rather than choosing between rote memorization or rich discussion, the most successful instruction cycles through both, reinforcing number sense and mental strategies.

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·April 29, 2025·6 min read

Vasopressin Boosts Social Skills Without Aggression in Autism

New research shows that supplementing vasopressin levels in low-social rhesus monkeys improves social behavior and facial recognition without triggering aggression. The findings suggest vasopressin deficiency may underlie social difficulties seen in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Featured Neuroscience

·April 28, 2025·5 min read

Brain Growth Charts Reveal Early Cognitive Development Patterns

A new study has created the first normative charts of brain functional development from birth to six years old, highlighting how brain network growth tracks with cognitive milestones. Using MRI scans from over 1,000 children, researchers mapped how different brain networks, such as visual, subcortical, and attention systems, mature and interact over time.

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·April 27, 2025·4 min read

Tracing the Origins of Hearing

Researchers have developed a genetic "barcoding" method to trace how stem cells in embryos become neurons and inner ear cells. By labeling early stem cells in mice, the team followed their development and mapped the formation of the inner ear.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·April 26, 2025·3 min read

Umbilical Cord DNA May Predict Future Metabolic Health Risks

DNA changes in umbilical cord blood may help predict which children are at higher risk for future health issues like diabetes, liver disease, and stroke. Researchers analyzed chemical tags on DNA, known as methylation patterns, and linked specific alterations to markers of metabolic dysfunction later in childhood. Notably, changes in genes like TNS3, GNAS, and CSMD1 were tied to liver fat accumulation, high blood pressure, and abnormal waist-to-hip ratios.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·April 26, 2025·4 min read

Prenatal Stress Leaves Lasting Molecular Imprints on Babies

A new study reveals that stress during pregnancy can molecularly reprogram newborns' stress response systems, with significant differences between boys and girls. Researchers found that maternal stress altered entire families of tRNA fragments in umbilical cord blood, particularly those regulating acetylcholine, a key neurotransmitter.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 26, 2025·4 min read

Early Antibiotic Use Linked to Higher Childhood Obesity Risk

A new study reveals that taking antibiotics within the first two years of life is associated with higher childhood body mass index (BMI) and increased obesity risk. Researchers found that early antibiotic exposure raised BMI, and increased the risk of being overweight by 9% and obese by 20%.