Hyperactivity News and Research

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Neurodivergent youth face higher risk of early-onset type 2 diabetes

People with neurodiversity, particularly autism and ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), may be more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) at younger ages, with particularly high prevalence of neurodiversity observed among individuals diagnosed with T2D before the age of 20, finds an analysis of patient data being presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (September 28–October 2.

27 Sep 2026

Study finds no causal link between prenatal paracetamol and neurodevelopmental disorders

Various studies over the years have linked prenatal use of the pain reliever paracetamol (acetaminophen) with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, but many of the studies were small, poorly designed, or found only weak associations

23 Sep 2026

Researchers identify a rare genetic change linked to neurodevelopmental disorder

Research led by Texas Children's Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) and Baylor College of Medicine identified a rare genetic change that appears to cause a newly recognized neurodevelopmental disorder.

21 Sep 2026

Cold plunges may boost your mood, but the evidence is still on thin ice

A Molecular Psychiatry review examined evidence linking cold exposure with mood and mental health outcomes, alongside proposed roles for catecholamines, the HPA axis, and immune-inflammatory pathways. Early studies report short-term mood improvements and physiological changes, but clinical evidence remains limited, and the proposed mechanisms have not been established as drivers of lasting psychiatric benefits.

16 Sep 2026

Study links missing brain protein to ADHD-like behaviors

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can affect attention, activity levels, and impulse control, with symptoms often beginning in childhood and sometimes continuing into adulthood.

16 Sep 2026

People with ADHD face higher odds of gastrointestinal problems

University of Warwick researchers have analyzed data from over 1.9 million people across 23 studies and found that ADHD is linked to an almost 50% increase in overall gastrointestinal symptoms compared with people without ADHD The association was even stronger for specific problems: nearly double the odds of constipation, a 58% increase in irritable bowel syndrome, and more than four times the odds of encopresis (loss of bowel control).

10 Sep 2026

Younger and older brains respond differently to traumatic injury

Conventional wisdom holds that younger brains are better equipped to recover from injury. Their greater flexibility allows them to adapt, rebuild connections and compensate for damage in ways older brains often cannot.

4 Sep 2026

Maternal illness may reshape fetal brain development through epigenetics

Neurodevelopmental conditions, which include autism spectrum disorders, ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), and more, impact around ten percent of the American population.

2 Sep 2026

Flavorings, colors and sweeteners emerge as UPF markers linked to depression risk

A prospective UK Biobank study of 171,818 adults found that greater estimated exposure to foods containing flavorings, coloring agents, and sweeteners was dose-dependently associated with a higher risk of incident depression over 10.7 years. The findings suggest that specific markers, rather than ultra-processed foods uniformly, may help explain associations between UPF consumption and depression risk.

1 Sep 2026

Researchers found one childhood behavior linked to folic acid use before pregnancy

Researchers analyzed 646 children aged 2–8 years and their 563 mothers to examine whether maternal folic acid supplementation before conception was associated with childhood behavioral difficulties. Preconception supplementation was associated with a 34% lower risk of peer relationship problems, while no significant associations were found for total behavioral difficulties, emotional, conduct, hyperactivity/inattention, or prosocial problems.

1 Sep 2026

What does more screen time mean for how children see and focus?

A cross-sectional study of children aged 4 to 9 found that greater caregiver-reported daily screen time was associated with lower contrast sensitivity and differences in how age related to visual-search performance. The associations varied by visual feature and task demands, suggesting that screen exposure may relate differently to lower-level visual processing and selective attention across middle childhood.

31 Aug 2026

Breastmilk from cannabis users showed differences, but cannabis may not be the whole story

A narrative review found that maternal cannabis use may be associated with differences in breastmilk fat, protein, lactose, and the immune factor secretory immunoglobulin A, but evidence comes primarily from only two human studies and remains limited and inconsistent. The authors stress that maternal diet, food security, socioeconomic circumstances, and other forms of adversity could confound these associations and should be incorporated into future research.

31 Aug 2026

Does a psychedelic need an awake brain to have lasting effects? This mouse study offers a clue

A single dose of psilocybin produced a lasting increase in sociability for at least two weeks in Cntnap2-knockout mice with social deficits, while it did not enhance sociability overall in mice with normal social behavior. The effect required 5-HT2A receptor activation and persisted when psilocybin was administered under light anesthesia, suggesting that wakefulness during the drug’s acute effects was not necessary for this behavioral response.

30 Aug 2026

Updated consensus offers new roadmap for childhood bedwetting care

Nocturnal enuresis (NE) in school-age children is more than a nighttime inconvenience: when persistent, it can affect self-esteem, sleep, family life and social functioning.

28 Aug 2026

Molecular switch ERBB4 linked to broad range of Alzheimer's pathologies

What if amyloid plaques are not the whole story of Alzheimer's disease? New research suggests that a broad range of Alzheimer's pathologies may be orchestrated by a molecular switch called ERBB4 when it turns on in the wrong neurons.

26 Aug 2026

Researchers followed children for a decade to see whether screen time really mattered

A large Scottish birth cohort found that screen use showed limited and inconsistent associations with children’s emotional, behavioral, and social development from ages 5 to 15. Very high gaming in adolescence stood out, while several other associations weakened after adjustment, sensitivity analyses, or correction for multiple testing.

24 Aug 2026

Study provides a more nuanced picture of biological mechanisms linked to autism

How does autism manifest in the brain? Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital have investigated this question in a new study involving 60 adults.

21 Aug 2026

Paternal valproate use not linked to offspring neurodevelopmental risks

Use of the antiseizure drug valproate by fathers before conception is not associated with neurodevelopmental disorders like autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in their children, according to a new study published August 19, 2026, in Neurology®, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19 Aug 2026

Early-onset epilepsy tied to lower academic achievement

Childhood epilepsy is linked to significantly poorer exam grades and long term educational attainment, with the lowest levels of academic prowess among those whose neurological disorder started when they were very young, finds a large, long term Danish study, published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

18 Aug 2026

High frequency brain waves help coordinate human working memory

Research from scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and collaborators has shed new light on how the human brain coordinates working memory, the process in which the brain encodes information for immediate or short-term use.

12 Aug 2026