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neurodevelopment

·April 26, 2023·5 min read

Baby Talk: Babies’ Language Acquisition Relies on Pitch and Rhythm

A new study reveals that prosody - rhythm, melodic stress, pitch, pauses - plays a fundamental role in babies' language acquisition and cognitive development, improving their ability to identify distant grammatical regularities. The study highlights the crucial impact of subtle pitch changes in processing statistical information in early childhood and sheds light on the role of prosody in language acquisition.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 26, 2023·6 min read

Study Shows Neuronal Activity is Crucial for Complex Astrocyte Shape

Neuronal activity is necessary and sufficient for astrocytes to develop their bushy shape, which is fundamental for brain function. These findings suggest that astrocyte development and function involve a complex pattern of events and proteins triggered by the activity of neurons, offering new insights into the mechanisms of brain development and the potential causes of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·April 25, 2023·4 min read

Gray Matter Volume Linked to Language Deficits in Autism

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who have language impairment show lower gray matter volume and greater gyrification in the temporal and frontal lobes of the cerebral cortex, which are crucial for language function. The study's findings could help design specialized education programs for children with autism by understanding the structural characteristics that contribute to behavioral deficits.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 25, 2023·6 min read

Shining a Light on Shyness: New Study Explores How It Manifests in Children

A new study has found that shyness is characterized by fear and nervousness in response to social novelty and/or social evaluation. Researchers identified that temperamental shyness may exist in a distinct group of children over time, while a larger subset of children may experience shyness as an emotional state in some situations.

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·April 24, 2023·5 min read

Link Found Between Common Ear, Nose, and Throat Infections in Preschoolers and Increased Risk of Autism

Preschoolers with common ear, nose, and throat (ENT) issues may be at risk of autism or high levels of autism traits, according to a study published in BMJ Open. The research, which tracked over 10,000 children from birth, suggests that early identification and treatment of ENT conditions may help improve these children's quality of life and provide insight into the origins of autism. which likely involves an interplay of genetic, environmental, and biological factors.

Brain Cancer Featured Neuroscience

·April 24, 2023·4 min read

Males with Neurodevelopmental Disorders Face Higher Risk of Testicular Cancer

Men with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism or ADHD, have a slightly higher risk of developing testicular cancer than those without such disorders. The research is the first to provide a link between neurodevelopmental disorders and testicular cancer risk, although the absolute risk increase was less than 1%.

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·April 24, 2023·4 min read

High-Fat Diets During Early Life Lead to Cravings for Salty Foods Later On

In utero and early life exposure to high-fat diets result in a preference for foods that are higher in salt later in life, a new study reports. Researchers say high-fat diets increase the expression of the AT1 protein in the taste buds. This occurs as early as three weeks of age. AT1 is associated with a preference for salty tastes and researchers suggest AT1 affects salty taste preference by increasing sodium intake in taste bud cells.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 24, 2023·5 min read

Disrupted Synaptic Pruning a Key Factor in Teen Mental Health at Risk

According to research, problems with the brain's ability to prune itself of unnecessary connections may be behind a wide range of mental health disorders that begin during adolescence. This could explain why people are often affected by more than one disorder. The discovery of a characteristic pattern of brain activity called the "neuropsychopathological factor" (NP factor) could help identify those at greatest risk of mental health problems and facilitate earlier interventions to reduce the risk.

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·April 22, 2023·3 min read

Early Indicators of Autism May Be Identified in Fetal Brain Scans

A study by King's College researchers has identified a link between autism traits and isolated fetal ventriculomegaly - a common antenatal brain abnormality. Using MRI brain scans, the study supports the need for early identification and intervention for families and could improve the long-term support of those affected.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Neuroscience Videos

·April 21, 2023·4 min read

Sleep Problems in Children With Autism Linked to Fat Molecules

Study reveals a potential causal link between reduced levels of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in blood plasma and poor sleep quality and disrupted sleep patterns in children on the autism spectrum. Researchers also found lipidome signatures in autistic children with sleep disorders were similar to signatures associated with an unhealthy diet.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 20, 2023·6 min read

That’s Nuts! Eating Walnuts Regularly Improves Cognitive Development and Psychological Maturation in Teens

Teens who added walnuts to their diet for 100 days showed improvements in attention function, and for those with ADHD, frequent walnut consumption was associated with improvements in behavior. Researchers also noted an increase in fluid intelligence in those who frequently consumed walnuts as part of their daily diet.

This shows a woman breastfeeding her child

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 20, 2023·5 min read

Exposure to Alcohol Through Breastmilk Affects Brain and Behavioral Development

Exposure to alcohol through a mother's breastmilk can have serious and lasting implications for brain and behavioral development in children. Researchers found alcohol exposure via breastmilk resulted in smaller body and brain growth and decreased cortical length in mouse models.