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neurodevelopment

·April 25, 2025·5 min read

Infant Social Skills Thrive Despite Hardship

A large international study finds that babies living in insecure conditions, including as refugees, display key social skills on par with children raised in more stable environments. Using eye-tracking technology, researchers found that over 800 children from Sweden, Uganda, Bhutan, and Zimbabwe equally followed social cues like shared attention, regardless of poverty, trauma, or parental mental health.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 24, 2025·7 min read

Maternal Childhood Trauma Linked to Rapid Weight Gain in Baby Boys

A new study reveals that maternal childhood trauma—such as neglect or abuse—can trigger rapid weight gain in male infants as early as the first two months of life. Researchers found that boys born to mothers who experienced early-life adversity gained significantly more weight per day than average, despite being full-term, healthy, and mostly breastfed.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 23, 2025·6 min read

Babies Learn Words Without Visuals

Infants as young as 15 months can use language context to infer the meaning of words referring to objects they’ve never seen. Researchers found that when 15-month-olds heard a new word in a familiar context—like "kumquat" during a conversation about fruit—they later identified the unseen object correctly.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 23, 2025·6 min read

Earlier Bedtimes Linked to Better Brain Function in Adolescents

A large-scale study has found that adolescents who go to bed earlier and get slightly more sleep show better brain function and higher cognitive test performance than their peers. Using wearable devices and brain imaging from over 4,000 participants, researchers discovered that even small differences in sleep duration and timing impacted brain volume and task performance.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 23, 2025·5 min read

Responsive Parenting Rewires Emotional Brains in Sensitive Babies

Around 1 in 5 babies are born with a sensitive, unregulated temperament that may raise their risk for anxiety and emotional challenges. A new study shows that contingent responsive parenting—caregivers who accurately respond to a baby's cues—can reshape early brain activity in ways that support emotional regulation.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 22, 2025·4 min read

When to Talk Puberty: Parents Split on Best Timing

A national survey reveals that while most parents recognize the importance of discussing puberty, many are uncertain about when or how to start the conversation. Roughly half of parents prefer a proactive approach, while others wait until children ask questions—or avoid the topic altogether.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·April 21, 2025·5 min read

Tandem Repeats May Explain Autism Risk

New research has uncovered a genetic connection between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), a rare neuromuscular disease. The study identifies tandem repeat expansions (TREs) in the DMPK gene as a shared mechanism that disrupts gene splicing and contributes to ASD-like social behaviors in individuals with DM1.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 21, 2025·4 min read

Pride and Awe in Parenting Boost Mental Health and Life Meaning

A new study reveals that feelings of pride and awe toward one's children significantly enhance parental well-being, life satisfaction, and the parent-child bond. Conducted with nearly 900 parents, the research found that while both emotions were beneficial, awe had a stronger impact on psychological richness and meaning. Awe connects parents to something larger than themselves, offering a sense of wonder that slows time and deepens emotional connection.

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·April 17, 2025·5 min read

Autism Affects 1 in 31 Children Aged 8

A CDC report analyzing data from 16 U.S. sites, including Maryland, found that autism now affects 1 in 31 eight-year-olds nationwide. Maryland’s prevalence was slightly lower, with 1 in 38 eight-year-olds and 1 in 41 four-year-olds identified in 2022.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 16, 2025·4 min read

Early Maternal Affection Shapes Key Personality Traits for Life

Affectionate mothering in early childhood may play a lasting role in shaping personality traits that influence educational, professional, and health outcomes. A study of over 2,200 identical twins found that maternal warmth between ages 5 and 10 predicted higher levels of openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness at age 18.

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·April 15, 2025·5 min read

Fussiness at 9 Months May Signal Early Autism Risk

Signs of autism may be detectable as early as 9 months of age, well before the typical diagnosis window of 3 to 5 years. Researchers found that infants who were described by parents as fussy, slow to adapt, or delayed in development were more likely to show autism-related traits by 12 months.

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·April 15, 2025·7 min read

How Touch Processing Differs in Autism and Why It Matters

A new study reveals that adults with autism process active and passive touch similarly, unlike neurotypical individuals whose brains reduce activity during self-initiated touch. This finding may help explain repetitive behaviors like stimming, which are common in autism and can serve as emotional regulation or sensory coping mechanisms.