Summary: 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…
Tag: neurodevelopment
Genetics, Not Maternal Sickness, Drives Autism Risk
Summary: 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…
Empathy Peaks in Young Adults
Summary: 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…
AI Mimics Toddler-Like Learning to Unlock Human Cognition
Summary: A new AI model, based on the PV-RNN framework, learns to generalize language and actions in a manner similar to toddlers by integrating vision, proprioception, and language instructions. Unlike…
Delayed Brain Maturation Links Genetics and Eating Disorders
Summary: Over half of 23-year-olds display restrictive, emotional, or uncontrolled eating behaviors, with delayed brain maturation playing a significant role. The research linked structural brain differences, mental health challenges, and…
Physical Neglect Causes Lifelong Social Challenges in Children
Summary: A new study highlights how childhood physical neglect disrupts social development more than physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Neglected children were less social, less popular, and less connected to…
High-Fat Diets in Adolescence Linked to Adult Impulsivity
Summary: Adolescent rats fed a high-fat diet displayed increased impulsivity and altered decision-making as adults. These “cheesecake rats” were quicker to act on visual cues (indicative of impulsivity) but showed…
Early Reproductive Aging Alters Brain Connectivity, Emotional Health
Summary: Research shows that accelerated reproductive aging in females, such as early puberty or menopause, is linked to increased mental health risks at different life stages. Adolescents experiencing early puberty…
Teen Brain’s Blunted Reward Response Predicts Depression Onset
Summary: A new study reveals that a reduced neural response to rewards in teens predicts the first onset of depression, but not anxiety or suicidality. Researchers used EEG scans to…
