Female protective effect
Recent articles
X marks the spot in search for autism variants
Genetic variants on the X chromosome, including those in the gene DDX53, contribute to autism’s gender imbalance, two new studies suggest.

X marks the spot in search for autism variants
Genetic variants on the X chromosome, including those in the gene DDX53, contribute to autism’s gender imbalance, two new studies suggest.
Autism is more heritable in boys than in girls
If boys have greater inherited liability for autism, the female protective effect may not fully explain the sex difference in prevalence.

Autism is more heritable in boys than in girls
If boys have greater inherited liability for autism, the female protective effect may not fully explain the sex difference in prevalence.
Giant analysis reveals how autism-linked genes affect brain cell types
Genes that predispose people to autism account for a large portion of the neuronal and glial cell changes seen in those with the condition.

Giant analysis reveals how autism-linked genes affect brain cell types
Genes that predispose people to autism account for a large portion of the neuronal and glial cell changes seen in those with the condition.
Genetic background sways effects of autism-linked mutation
Experiments offer clues to why certain mutations are associated with autism in some people and not others.

Genetic background sways effects of autism-linked mutation
Experiments offer clues to why certain mutations are associated with autism in some people and not others.
X-chromosome variants help explain autism’s sex bias
The rare variants are also linked to ADHD and Tourette syndrome, two other conditions that disproportionately affect boys and men.

X-chromosome variants help explain autism’s sex bias
The rare variants are also linked to ADHD and Tourette syndrome, two other conditions that disproportionately affect boys and men.
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Video catches microglia in the act of synaptic pruning
Live cell imaging reveals the clearest picture yet of this elusive process. Whether it’s something these cells do regularly remains up for debate.
Video catches microglia in the act of synaptic pruning
Live cell imaging reveals the clearest picture yet of this elusive process. Whether it’s something these cells do regularly remains up for debate.
Gabriele Scheler reflects on the interplay between language, thought and AI
She discusses how verbal thought shapes cognition, why inner speech is foundational to human intelligence and what current artificial-intelligence models get wrong about language.
Gabriele Scheler reflects on the interplay between language, thought and AI
She discusses how verbal thought shapes cognition, why inner speech is foundational to human intelligence and what current artificial-intelligence models get wrong about language.
Accepting “the bitter lesson” and embracing the brain’s complexity
To gain insight into complex neural data, we must move toward a data-driven regime, training large models on vast amounts of information. We asked nine experts on computational neuroscience and neural data analysis to weigh in.

Accepting “the bitter lesson” and embracing the brain’s complexity
To gain insight into complex neural data, we must move toward a data-driven regime, training large models on vast amounts of information. We asked nine experts on computational neuroscience and neural data analysis to weigh in.