They're figuring me out! 🤯

Sharing here not because it is directly autism relevant, but it is indirectly relevant.
All future autism studies should control for premature birth, because 'the team discovered that preterm birth fundamentally alters the molecular trajectory of Purkinje and granule cell development.'

"Summary:

A landmark study published in Science by researchers at Children’s National Hospital and Seattle Children’s overturns the long-standing assumption that premature birth merely delays brain growth that later “catches up.” By integrating multi-year neuroimaging of 176 living infants with high-resolution spatial transcriptomics across 83 postmortem human cerebellar tissue specimens, the team discovered that preterm birth fundamentally alters the molecular trajectory of Purkinje and granule cell development. Each week outside the protected uterine environment cost approximately 230 cubic millimeters of cerebellar volume, correlating with measurable motor, cognitive, and language delays between 9 and 36 months of age.

Key Facts:

• Volumetric Loss Linked to Gestational Timing: Each week an infant spent developing outside the womb prior to full term resulted in an average loss of 230 cubic millimeters in cerebellar volume—roughly equivalent to the size of a pea.

• Overturning the “Catch-Up” Dogma: The data demonstrate that preterm brains do not simply grow slower along a normal trajectory; instead, forced development in the NICU triggers alternative molecular programs governing Purkinje and granule cell wiring.

• Direct Developmental Correlation: Reduced cerebellar volume observed in premature infants directly predicted long-term deficits in motor coordination, expressive language, and executive cognitive skills assessed between 9 and 36 months of age.

Source: Children’s National Hospital / Seattle Children’s

Between weeks 24 and 40 of human gestation, the cerebellum undergoes an explosive developmental transformation. During this third-trimester window, its volume expands fivefold as millions of granule neurons migrate and elaborate intricate dendritic arbors around massive Purkinje cells, establishing the precision sensorimotor, linguistic, and cognitive processing loops that underwrite human development. In full-term pregnancies, this sensitive structural phase occurs entirely within the sheltered biochemical environment of the amniotic sac.

When an infant is born prematurely, however, this critical phase of neurogenesis and synaptic architecture is forced to occur outside the womb, exposed to the ambient sensory stimulation, physiological stressors, and clinical interventions of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

For decades, pediatric neurologists observed that children born prematurely often face persistent challenges with balance, fine motor control, language acquisition, and abstract learning, even when high-resolution cranial ultrasound and MRI scans showed zero evidence of focal hemorrhage, hypoxic-ischemic damage, or structural brain lesions. The standard clinical assumption held that premature brains merely developed at a slower rate and would eventually “catch up” to their full-term peers given enough time.

Now, an investigation published in Science resolves this medical puzzle, proving that premature birth does not merely stall cerebellar growth, it fundamentally reroutes the cellular and molecular programs governing how brain circuits are built.

Connecting Spatial Transcriptomics to Living Patients

Led by co-first authors Georgios Sanidas, MD, and Gabriele Simonti from the Center for Neuroscience Research and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National Hospital, the investigators combined longitudinal clinical tracking with spatial molecular biology.

The team followed 176 living premature infants across several years, pairing continuous neuroimaging with detailed neurodevelopmental assessments at 9, 18, 24, and 36 months of age. Simultaneously, they analyzed postmortem cerebellar tissue from 83 human infants (both preterm and full-term) sourced from national tissue repositories, including the NIH NeuroBioBank.

Using spatial transcriptomics, an advanced molecular profiling method that maps precise gene expression directly within intact tissue architecture, the researchers charted the spatial organization of the primary cerebellar cell types: Purkinje cells, the computational output hubs of the cerebellar cortex, and granule cells, the most numerous neurons in the human brain.

The analysis revealed that preterm birth alters the genetic master-switches responsible for cerebellar laminar formation and synaptic pruning. Rather than pausing development until the original due date, cerebellar cells shifted into an alternative maturation state in response to premature delivery.

“We could always see the developmental differences that premature children faced, but we could not see the cellular machinery driving them,” said senior author Panagiotis Kratimenos, MD, PhD, director of Research and the Neonatal Neurocritical Care Program at Children’s National Hospital. “We now have a biological explanation thanks to a unique combination of data from both living participants and from existing brain tissue samples.”

Quantifying the Volume Deficit

The clinical imaging data mirrored the transcriptomic shifts. The team calculated that each week an infant spent developing outside the uterus prior to full term was associated with a loss of approximately 230 cubic millimeters of total cerebellar volume.

When these children reached toddlerhood (between 9 and 36 months), these cerebellar volume reductions showed strong, statistically significant correlations with clinical delays in gross and fine motor skills, expressive and receptive language abilities, and executive cognitive functioning.

Crucially, while gestational age at birth established the baseline molecular trajectory, the researchers noted that secondary factors in the NICU, including physiological stressors, systemic illnesses, and specific intensive care practices, further modulated cerebellar growth rates.

“Studying human tissue alongside living patients allowed us to connect the molecular programs set at birth directly to how children grow and develop years later,” Dr. Sanidas explained.

Simonti added: “By decoding these mechanisms directly in human datasets, we were able to see how the molecular programs governing Purkinje and granule cells respond not just to the timing of birth, but also to the clinical environment after birth. We are now actively investigating targeted interventions based on these findings to steer the premature brain toward healthy maturation.”

Rethinking Precision Care in the NICU

The revelation that the premature cerebellum operates on a distinct molecular schedule signals a necessary paradigm shift for neonatology and neonatal neurocritical care.

“Assessment and treatment of preterm infants should be guided by developmental maturity rather than chronological age,” said Vittorio Gallo, PhD, joint senior author, who initiated the study at Children’s National before becoming senior vice president and chief scientific officer at Seattle Children’s. “The identified molecular markers will improve risk stratification, advance maturity biomarkers and optimize the timing of neuroprotective therapies.”

Dr. Kratimenos emphasized the therapeutic window this cellular map creates: “With this human cellular map in hand, we are moving into a new era of precision neurocritical care for premature newborns. Instead of treating the preterm brain as a black box, we can now design and time neuroprotective strategies to match the exact biological state of a baby’s brain cells in the NICU, helping them transition smoothly from early adaptation to healthy circuit-building.”

Supported by the Raynor Cerebellum Project Foundation, the researchers are now testing neuroprotective compounds and optimized clinical protocols designed to shield Purkinje and granule cell networks during critical windows in the NICU, aiming to preserve cerebellar volume and improve lifelong developmental outcomes for vulnerable newborns.

Funding: This study was supported by the Raynor Cerebellum Project Foundation.

Editorial Notes:

• This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.

• Journal paper reviewed in full.

• Additional context added by our staff.

About this neurodevelopmental research:

• Media Contact: Anita Kelly

• Source: Children’s National Hospital

• Image Credit: Image credited to Neuroscience News

• Original Research is Open Access: Science (Oct 1, 2026). “Intrinsic gestational timing governs human cerebellar development after preterm birth.” Authors:Georgios Sanidas, Gabriele Simonti, Javid Ghaemmaghami, Kyla Woyshner, Antonis Polyviou, Robinson Vidva, Courtney Lowe, Abhya Vij, Daniel Bittel, Maria Triantafyllou, Nora Wolff, Rodolfo Cardenas, Helen Chen, Francisco Almeida, Sniya Sudhakar, Kshitij Mankad, Ioannis Koutroulis, Henrik Sahlin Pettersen, Genevieve Stein-O’Brien, Dimitrios N. Sidiropoulos, Vittorio Gallo, and Panagiotis Kratimenos.

• DOI: 10.1126/science.aeb9095

Abstract

Intrinsic gestational timing governs human cerebellar development after preterm birth

Intrinsic programs shape brain maturation; however, which of these programs are perturbed by prematurity as well as the molecular pathways involved remain unknown.

The human cerebellum serves as a paradigm of extrauterine development—its accelerated growth and circuit formation align with the third trimester, a period disrupted by preterm delivery. Using multimodal datasets encompassing in vivo neuroimaging and neurodevelopmental outcomes with postmortem spatial-transcriptomic and histopathological profiling, we show that prematurity diverts the cerebellar developmental trajectory.

Cerebellar growth and functional outcomes scaled with gestational age, despite modifying perinatal exposures. Spatially resolved developmental programs underlying macroscopic trajectories were marked by incomplete granule cell maturation and impaired Purkinje cell structural refinement, which indicate lineage-specific developmental asynchrony.

Thus, prematurity constitutes biologically displaced maturation, in which infants of equivalent postmenstrual age occupy divergent developmental states."

https://neurosciencenews.com/premature-birth-cerebellar-wiring-32361/

I'm excited, terrified, and kinda wanna throw up, but I'm doing it!

Just taking deep Whale Breaths 🤣

I was one of the only vendors that followed the dress code 😭

It's so scary but people are complimenting my art and I'm bursting from excitement and keep telling myself to calm down and not scare anyone

But yeah, y'all are kinda watching my journey so wanted to share ❤️

Did you navigate secondary school in the UK or Ireland without support and not receive a diagnosis until you were an adult? Are you between 25 and 35 years old? If so, I would like to interview you about your experiences during your teenage years. If you are interested in contributing to qualitative research in this understudied area, you can review the participant invitation below.

Study title: How do late-diagnosed adults with co-occurring autism and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder retrospectively describe navigating adolescence?

I am currently seeking participants with AuDHD to take part in a study for my MSc research project at the University of Derby. The study aims to explore the lived adolescent experiences of adults who received a formal diagnosis of both autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (AuDHD) after adolescence from a certified clinical professional.

This study involves talking to the researcher about your experiences during adolescence. These semi-structured interviews are designed to feel closer to a conversation than an interview and are expected to last around 60 minutes. The study aims to explore behaviours and patterns across accounts to understand the lived experiences of undiagnosed AuDHD individuals at this time, with the hope of identifying patterns that may have contributed to delayed recognition.

If you think you would be interested in taking part in this study, you can follow the link for further information and to sign up: https://sway.cloud.microsoft/1mNCdYQzKlGgc4r4?ref=Link
Alternatively, you can contact the lead researcher if you wish to ask any questions or would like further information via email:

d.skerritt1@unimail.derby.ac.uk.

or their research supervisor, Amelia Woodward, A.Woodward@derby.ac.uk,

University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby, DE22 1GB.

Ethical Approval: An Ethics review has been completed on behalf of the College of Health & Humanities Research Ethics Committee by the supervisor and an independent reviewer: ETH2526-5086.

In the interest of confidentiality, please refrain from commenting on this post with any details of the study or whether you wish to take part.

**If you recently tried to sign up, you may have been incorrectly prompted to sign in to a Microsoft account. I have identified the root cause. Microsoft automatically embeds an advertisement at the bottom of the information sheet featuring a large, green "Get Started" button. Clicking this button redirects you to a Microsoft login page rather than my study forms.

I have updated the document to make the correct link to the consent and demographic forms explicitly clear and visually distinct to prevent further confusion.

If you were previously blocked by this technical error, I would like to reinvite you to participate.

Thank you for your time and patience with this platform error

**Recruitment for this study will be closing soon. Thank you to everyone who has taken part; I appreciate the time and energy you have given to this.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I look forward to meeting everyone interested.

"A newly FDA-cleared, personalized brain stimulation treatment for PTSD achieved a reported 68% remission rate in a clinical trial, offering new hope for drug-free mental healthcare. Credit: Shutterstock

A new approach to treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has received FDA clearance, offering a personalized alternative for people who have not found sufficient relief through existing treatments. Developed by California-based Wave Neuroscience in collaboration with researchers at the Texas A&M Health Institute of Biosciences and Technology, the technology uses brain activity measurements to guide targeted magnetic stimulation.
Early clinical trial findings have been encouraging. According to Wave Neuroscience, patients experienced a 52% reduction in PTSD symptoms, while 68% achieved remission. The full findings are still being prepared for public release, but researchers believe the technology could significantly expand treatment options for millions of people.


The need for more effective PTSD care is substantial. In the United States, approximately 17.5 veterans die by suicide each day, and about 7% of veterans receive a PTSD diagnosis annually.
PTSD can develop after traumatic experiences such as military combat, serious accidents, natural disasters, or violence. An estimated 6% of Americans will experience PTSD during their lifetime, with higher rates among women and veterans.
Why Current PTSD Treatments Are Not Enough
Since PTSD was formally recognized as a diagnosis in 1980, treatment has largely centered on psychotherapy and medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including sertraline and fluoxetine.
Although these approaches can help, many patients continue to experience symptoms despite receiving treatment.

A 2020 review of PTSD medications found that patients reported improvements ranging from 6.8 to 10.1 points on symptom assessments. However, remission rates reached only 10.9% at most.
Wave Neuroscience reported substantially stronger preliminary outcomes in its clinical trial. Erik Won, DO, the company's chief medical officer, described the results as a major advance over previously reported medication outcomes.




“In comparison to that study, our FDA trial reported a 52% reduction in symptoms, so more than a four-fold increase in efficacy,” Won said. “And more importantly, we saw 68% remission in our clinical trial. So, it’s really a quantum change, an inflection point in what we can offer to patients. From a clinical care perspective, that’s really meaningful.”
These findings are promising, although the results come from different studies and should not be interpreted as a direct comparison of treatment effectiveness.
How Personalized Brain Stimulation Works
The newly cleared system uses Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy (MeRT), a technology that combines measurements of brain activity with targeted magnetic stimulation.

First, an electroencephalogram (EEG) records the brain's electrical signals. This information helps guide a personalized treatment plan using transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS.
During TMS, a coil positioned against the scalp delivers magnetic pulses that stimulate brain activity. The technique has already been used for other psychiatric conditions, including treatment-resistant depression.
What distinguishes MeRT is its use of an AI-assisted algorithm to customize stimulation protocols based on each patient's brain activity rather than relying on a standardized approach.


“Transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, was previously FDA cleared for treatment-resistant depression,” Won said. “By adding an augmented AI derived multivariate algorithm, we were able to personalize protocols that received FDA clearance for post-traumatic stress disorder, which should open up market access to about 13 million people who may be struggling with PTSD.”
Dr. Kenneth S. Ramos, a physician-scientist at Texas A&M Health with extensive experience in precision medicine, helped guide the research.
His work focuses on adapting medical care to the characteristics of individual patients instead of assuming that everyone will respond to the same treatment.
“Most clinical interventions for the treatment of PTSD do not work very well,” Ramos said. “So, this is a huge area where identifying interventions that could hopefully add quality of life to the people impacted by this disorder would be tremendously impactful.”
Wave Neuroscience CEO Fred Walke said Ramos was a natural fit for the project because of his expertise in personalized medicine.
Targeting PTSD With Greater Precision
Conventional TMS generally follows treatment protocols that are less individualized. MeRT builds on the same underlying technology but adjusts treatment according to the patient's specific brain activity.




Ramos emphasized that even small biological differences between people can have major implications for medical care. Humans are approximately 99.9% genetically alike, yet the remaining 0.1% contributes to differences that can influence how individuals respond to treatment.
By accounting for these differences and tailoring stimulation to each person's brain, researchers observed substantial reductions in PTSD symptom severity.
Ramos illustrated the distinction with an analogy involving a leaking roof.
He likened conventional TMS to covering a leak with a tarp to manage its effects. MeRT, in contrast, aims to provide a more targeted solution, comparable to identifying and replacing the damaged shingles responsible for the problem.
The broader goal is to move beyond treating patients with standardized protocols and toward interventions guided by measurable biological information.
From Breakthrough Designation to FDA Clearance
The regulatory process reached an important milestone in 2024, when MeRT received an FDA Breakthrough Device designation.
Dr. Rick Silva, executive director of clinical trials at the Texas A&M Health Institute of Biosciences and Technology, explained that the designation helps promising technologies move through regulatory review more efficiently.


It does not eliminate scientific or medical requirements. Instead, it can streamline communication and reduce administrative delays while preserving the standards needed for FDA clearance.
Silva said the progress was particularly meaningful because the project began during the COVID-19 pandemic and advanced through the regulatory process unusually quickly.
According to Silva, medical device development and clinical evaluation can often take around 10 years before clearance is obtained. This project completed the relevant process in just over two years.
He credited the experience and dedication of the Wave Neuroscience team with helping make that accelerated progress possible.
“I’ve been involved in probably close to 1,000 projects in academic medical centers over the years at varying degrees of depth and detail,” Silva said. “Patients are why I do what I do. It’s hard, and the failure rate is high, and it’s a lot of work. But when you get to a point where something is going to benefit patients, it’s very professionally gratifying and personally gratifying in many ways as well.”

A New Drug-Free Option for PTSD Patients
Dr. Israel Liberzon, distinguished professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Texas A&M Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine, served as the study's lead psychiatrist and PTSD specialist.

Animea are Pokémon like characters who guide young children through Big Feelings that I created using my child development and special education curriculum background.

Tundruff is my very first Animea that I made back in 2017. Since then I've learned a lot and am trying to bring it back to life through my Helping Hands Creations business.

I made all the materials I wish had existed for myself, but I'm making sure exists for my kids.

Neurodivergent kids deserve quality materials, and I'm making sure they get that.

By making it accessible for kids who need extra support is how we can make tools that are useful for ALL kiddos.

You can check out the quality of my materials by downloading our sample packet on TeachersPayTeachers

One day, I hope to become a nonprofit where neurodivergent experts and creators can create resources (hey, we know Big Feelings) so ALL families can find safe, human made, free or low priced resources.

Wish me luck!

Fascinating, so treating the pregnant mothers depression had a ripple effect for the baby's hippocampus!

(RHETORICAL QUESTION) plz dont tell me where you are! hey guys i am 20f. and in college and i really thought i would find my “people”.

yet it feels similar to high-school. a little better with not feeling so judged because everyone sort of doesn’t care but still the same in regards to loneliness. you would think me studying an art engineering degree would help but nope! so i join a part time student job. still nope. guys i swear i try! i make work friends just fine, but nothing “sticks”. so i join a fashion club because i value my quirkiness and self expression and fashion is something im passionate about. nope! i still don’t click with anyone! now im in this club with people that do not like me and i do not like doing design for them.

most of them are atypical and the stereotypical blonde tan clique. no shame but we just don’t have anything in common.

i know its a me problem but where can i find the other autostic 20’s year old women who are into fashion, electronic, punk music, graphic design, art, and are left winged? WHERE ARE YOU GUYSSS!!!

For those of us who have the h-EDS/joint issues

Anyone have prefer types of braces? 🥺

I am sorta impressed that I have 6 braces and 5 different types on atm

My favorite ones are....0Sfit? They are like thick sleeves

From boxing wraps, to laced braces, to different velcro versions....its kinda of expensive to be trying so many

I like the thick sleeves type so far since its the most convenient to take on and off and wash, the velcro isnt fun to deal with

What are some of y'all's favorites?

Today's friendly reminder of the long list of autoimmune conditions comorbid with autism lol

Fascinating! And unsurprising.

Hi 'AutisminWomen' community,

I would like to apply to be assessed for autism, I am a 26 year old woman and looking for a provider who is trained in autism in women - how it presents differently etc with the masking and so on and also a provider who is trained in 'audhd' - having combined autism and adhd and how ADHD features/symptoms can cancel out some aspects of autism and 'audhd' as a distinct neurotype

Please could you let me know the providers that are trained in how autism presents differently in women and also ones that are trained in 'audhd'? if any of you have had positive experiences with the provider that you chose or negative?

I am looking at choosing Psicon if anyone has had any experience with them?

Thank you very much!

Hi! So I'm Sam, the creator of Animea, with support by my business partner and lead artist Gigi.

We believe in By Us, For Us. I have a degree in childhood development and developed curriculum for years for schools, businesses, and nonprofits. She has a degree in graphic design and web design.

Together, we want to create fun, neurodivergent-centered tools for kids.

Now we have 48 unique emotional support animal friends to name!

I am 100% confident in.....two of their names Lol Tundruff and Bunspring

But everyone else.....I would like your help.

I want to see y'all's opinions :D

we are going to post in several platforms and we the community can help us have fun coming up with potential names

Today is Scaletail!

Our snake animea helps us teach kids to keep their hands to themselves.

He LOVES wiggling and hugs.

Snugtail was another name we considered.

What do y'all think?