neurodevelopment

A "foundational" study found that the brains of children with ADHD matured later, but that finding was likely a mirage tied to issues with how the children were followed over time.

Late preterm birth, occurred between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation, constitutes a risk factor for neurodevelopment. Despite being initially considered as a near term group of newborns, late preterm infants have shown dysfunctions in cerebral connectivity and in learning at school age. This mini-review will summarize key findings of latest studies about altered brain connectivity and cognition in t…

A research team from the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT-Italian Institute of Technology), in collaboration with the IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini in Genoa (Italy), has demonstrated that traumatic experiences occurring at specific stages of life - particularly from childhood through the early years following adolescence - have persistent effects on brain development and adult behavior.

Brain development from fetal life to early childhood occurs in highly sensitive periods, during which stress exposure—adaptive or toxic, prenatal or postnatal—can shape neural circuits involved in emotional regulation, particularly amygdala-centered networks. This review synthesizes current evidence on the biological mechanisms of early-life stress and protective interventions. It is based on a n…

Children with epilepsy have a higher risk of also having autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A new study in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology examined factors associated with the co-occurrence of autism and epilepsy in a large population-based group.

BackgroundAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is primarily characterized by differences in communication and social interaction, but motor impairments are also commonly observed, often emerging in early childhood. Understanding these motor characteristics may contribute to earlier identification and intervention. This study aimed to compare walking kinematics between autistic and non-autistic preschoo…

The study identifies critical windows of metal exposure via baby teeth, revealing impacts on brain development and behavior in children and adolescents.

A systematic review reveals adolescent cannabis use alters brain structure, elevates addiction risk, and impacts cognitive outcomes during critical development.

Background and hypothesisCannabis use initiation during adolescence has increased globally, raising concerns about neurodevelopmental consequences during this critical period when the brain undergoes extensive remodeling in cannabinoid receptor-rich regions.Study designThis systematic review examines neurodevelopmental consequences of adolescent cannabis use, focusing on structural brain changes,…

IntroductionSchizophrenia (SCZ) is a highly heritable neuropsychiatric disorder. Its genomic architecture reportedly overlaps with that of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the effect of genomic risk for ADHD and ASD on SCZ symptoms remains unclear.MethodWe obtained genome-wide association study (GWAS…

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report that early-life exposure to common environmental metals may influence brain development and behavioral health more than a decade later.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. With the increasing prevalence of ASD diagnosis, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms behind preventable causes, such as prenatal infections, and look for possible routes to improve outcomes. For example, maternal immune activation (MIA), the process by which …

Sensory input during early life is crucial for brain circuitry to be appropriately wired and refined. Foundational studies in the past century established that early sensory input was required for the appropriate development of primary sensory areas. Further investigation in the beginning of the 21st century extended this idea by suggesting that early sensory inputs may also impact remodeling of …

For the first time, scientists succeed in mapping the blood vessels in a newborn mouse's brain, revealing three stages of development linked to the growth of neural circuits.

Researchers from UC San Diego found that teenagers who begin using cannabis show slower gains in thinking and memory skills as they grow.

Opposite day: Neurodevelopmental conditions may arise from disruptions in the systems-level maturation of neuronal circuits, according to a new preprint. The investigators compared the effects of SYNGAP1 haploinsufficiency in mice with the effects of SYNGAP1 disruption in cortical excitatory neurons. The former induced two altered and opposing patterns of neuronal activity in the cortex, whereas …

New research shows a child’s home environment is closely linked to how their brain matures. A recent study associates parental acceptance with faster brain development, while exposure to household abuse correlates with delayed microstructural brain changes.

The brain undergoes “rewiring” throughout adolescence and doesn’t reach its adult architecture until our early 30s, suggests a new study.

Researchers have mapped a pathway connecting infant screen time to teenage anxiety. The study associates early screen exposure with accelerated brain network maturation, which predicts more hesitant decision-making in childhood and greater anxiety in adolescence.