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Scientists identify genetic mechanisms connected to core autism behaviors

A long‑overlooked stretch of the human genome appears to play a distinct role in shaping the social and stereotypic repetitive behaviors that define Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), without affecting learning or other cognitive abilities, according to a major new study published in Nature.

13 May 2026

New fMRI neurofeedback study trains the brain to reduce depressive rumination

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is far from a cookie-cutter diagnosis. Different patients report suffering from different subsets of symptoms, yet most are ultimately prescribed the same first-line treatments - typically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)- regardless of their individual experience.

13 May 2026

Targeted ultrasound stimulation alters brain processing to reduce chronic pain

Using ultrasound to stimulate a specific part of the brain could offer a non-invasive therapy that benefits those experiencing chronic pain, a new study has suggested.

13 May 2026

Timing of trauma strongly influences adult brain function and behavior

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.

12 May 2026

Prenatal progesterone exposure alters brain development genes in male fetuses

Excessive exposure to progesterone in the womb can alter a gene in the frontal cortex in male sheep fetuses, which is needed for brain development and function, according to research presented at the 28th European Congress of Endocrinology in Prague.

11 May 2026

A brain-based approach may improve smoking cessation treatment success

For many people who smoke, quitting is not just a matter of willpower. It is a tug-of-war in the brain – between the pull of reward and the ability to resist.

8 May 2026

New brain findings open pathways for understanding behavioral and neurological disorders

When danger lurks, instinct keeps us safe. It compels us to run from a burning building or wrestle a knife-wielding attacker to the ground. It also adjusts our body physiology to support these behaviors.

8 May 2026

Brain imaging study identifies two distinct biological migraine subtypes

They've been described as "brain on fire" or "an ice pick through the head." Migraine headaches affect more than one in 10 Americans, and they're so much worse than a regular headache.

8 May 2026

Neurodegeneration in Down syndrome may begin shortly after birth

Signs of neurodegeneration in individuals with Down syndrome may start as early as birth, a critical stage of brain development, a new study shows.

8 May 2026

Study reveals how magnetic stimulation repairs depression-related brain circuits

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive, FDA-approved therapy that uses brief magnetic pulses to treat depression, particularly in patients who do not respond to medication.

7 May 2026

Finding new ways to mimic ketamine’s antidepressant effects

Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have "reverse engineered" ketamine's antidepressant effects to identify potential new strategies for treating depression.

4 May 2026

Brain blips in epilepsy can be predicted before onset

Epilepsy is best known for seizures, but many people with the condition also experience much more frequent and subtler disruptions.

30 Apr 2026

New brain stimulation technique improves social communication in children with autism

A new non-invasive brain stimulation technique known as accelerated continuous theta burst stimulation (a-cTBS) improves social communication at one month follow up and has a favorable safety profile in children with autism, finds a trial from China published by The BMJ today.

29 Apr 2026

AHA calls for lifelong brain health strategy to prevent cognitive decline

The AHA scientific statement calls for a life-course approach to brain health that integrates cognitive, emotional, behavioral, vascular, environmental, inflammatory, sleep, microbiome, and social factors. It highlights how early-life exposures, mental health, pollution, chronic inflammation, poor sleep, gut dysbiosis, and socioeconomic adversity may shape brain resilience and later-life cognitive decline.

29 Apr 2026

Stronger slow-wave sleep helps older adults regulate anxiety overnight

Researchers at Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas have identified a specific feature of sleep that helps older adults regulate anxiety overnight - and shown that, as it deteriorates with age, emotional wellbeing deteriorates along with it.

27 Apr 2026

Natural compound obakulactone shows therapeutic potential for rheumatoid arthritis

A new study published in Engineering reveals that obakulactone (OL), a natural tetracyclic triterpenoid isolated from Phellodendri cortex, exerts a therapeutic effect on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by promoting the degradation of acyl coenzyme A thioesterase 1 (ACOT1) via the ubiquitin‒proteasome pathway and restoring the homeostasis of unsaturated fatty acids.

25 Apr 2026

Molecular map reveals how Down syndrome alters brain development

Scientists at UCLA have created one of the first cellular-resolution molecular maps detailing how Down syndrome alters human brain development before birth - a resource that resolves longstanding contradictions in the field and could lay the groundwork for future therapeutic strategies.

25 Apr 2026

New insight into how molecular measures of aging relate to neuroimaging markers of brain health

A new research paper was published in Volume 18 of Aging-US on April 7, 2026, titled "Association of epigenetic age acceleration with MRI biomarkers of aging and Alzheimer's disease neurodegeneration."

25 Apr 2026

Personalized bioelectrodes improve brain signal monitoring and compatibility

Soft electrodes designed to perfectly match a person's brain surface may help advance neural interfaces for neurodegenerative disease monitoring and treatment, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers.

17 Apr 2026

High-resolution study maps molecular differences across six human cortical regions

A new analysis of individual brain cells across several human brain regions reveals subtle but widespread differences in gene activity between male and female brains. This may help explain why some psychiatric and neurological disorders appear to affect the biological sexes differently, researchers report.

17 Apr 2026