MRI

Recent articles

Research image of brain scans.

Impaired molecular ‘chaperone’ accompanies multiple brain changes, conditions

Rare genetic variants in a protein-folding complex contribute to a spectrum of phenotypes that encompass brain malformations, intellectual disability, autism and seizures, according to a new “hallmark” study.

By Holly Barker
12 December 2024 | 5 min read
Research image of brain scans showing the structural integrity of white-matter tracts.

Repeat scans reveal brain changes that precede childbirth

A detailed look at a “pregnant brain” highlights a need to investigate the neural alterations that occur during a transition experienced by nearly 140 million people worldwide each year.

By Shaena Montanari
16 September 2024 | 9 min listen
Research image of a variety of brain atlases.

New ‘decoder’ tool translates functional neuroimaging terms across labs

The compendium of brain-parcellation atlases makes it possible to compare large-scale network data, which often involves different and overlapping network names.

By Holly Barker
23 July 2024 | 4 min read
Illustration of hands organizing objects of various shapes and sizes.

Simply making data publicly available isn’t enough. We need to make it easy — that requires community buy-in.

I helped create a standard to make it easy to upload, analyze and compare functional MRI data. An ecosystem of tools has since grown up around it, boosting reproducibility and speeding up research.

By Russell Poldrack
17 January 2024 | 7 min read
Research images of the human motor cortex

What happens when a histopathologist teams up with computational modelers?

Answers emerge in my chat with Nicola Palomero-Gallagher, a rare example of someone who connects the brain’s microscopic constituents and macroscopic features.

By Mac Shine
11 December 2023 | 7 min read

Common genetic variants shape the structure of the cortex

A genome-wide association study lays a foundation for deeper investigation of these variants in neurodevelopmental conditions.

By Lauren Schenkman
18 September 2023 | 6 min listen
Research image of brain scans displaying gray-matter volume differences across across six psychiatric conditions.

Alterations in circuits characterize six neuropsychiatric conditions

The underlying regional neurobiology of the conditions may differ from person to person.

By Claudia López Lloreda
13 September 2023 | 5 min listen
A grid of four brain scans showing excess cerebrospinal fluid.

Is excess brain fluid an early marker of autism?

Brain scans of hundreds of infants suggest that up to 80 percent of those with autism have unusual amounts of cerebrospinal fluid. Researchers are studying how this might contribute to the condition.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
17 August 2023 | 10 min read
Research image of neurons.

Abundant motor proteins disrupt cries in FOXP2 mice

Knocking down the gene that codes for the proteins normalizes the vocalizations.

By Laura Dattaro, Maaisha Osman
28 July 2023 | 3 min read
Research image of brain scans showing connections in the brain in different colors.

Statistical method improves behavioral predictions from fMRI

The framework, inspired by the polygenic risk score, considers the cumulative effect of neuronal connections.

By Holly Barker
29 June 2023 | 4 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image of a mossy fiber terminal in the cerebellar granule cell layer.

Cerebellar SHANK3; telehealth coaching for caregivers; psychedelics

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the last two weeks of December.

By Jill Adams
2 January 2025 | 2 min read
View out a window onto an open plaza in Krakow.

My hope for displaced Ukrainian children with autism, an update

The largest ongoing refugee crisis in Europe has overwhelmed humanitarian agencies. Meeting the needs of families affected by autism has not been a priority.

By Chrystina Dolyniuk
2 January 2025 | 6 min read
Illustration of distorted lines of different colors being pulled into a box where they are smoothed in a single multicolored line.

The Transmitter’s favorite essays and columns of 2024

From sex differences in Alzheimer’s disease to enduring citation bias, experts weighed in on important scientific and practical issues in neuroscience.

By The Transmitter
23 December 2024 | 2 min read