Fusiform gyrus

Recent articles

Research image of patterns of expression of autosomal genes.

Gene activity in human cortex shows striking sex differences

The results mark a “dramatic shift” in how neuroscientists think about sex differences, and they may help explain sex biases in certain neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental conditions.

By Lauren Schenkman
5 May 2026 | 5 min read
Woman talks to child in EEG cap

Brain’s response to faces foretells social development in autistic people

A delayed brain response to viewing faces may predict lags in social-skill development in autistic people.

By Laura Dattaro
17 August 2022 | 3 min read
A cross-section of the human brain and limbic system

Amygdala-linked brain areas grow differently in autism

The growth differences vary between autistic boys and girls and are most apparent among children with prominent social difficulties.

By Charles Q. Choi
13 July 2022 | 5 min read
Color-coded brain images showing reduced thickness of superior frontal gyrus and other regions associated with presence of increased levels of inflammatory moleucle IL-6.

Inflammation may reshape brain regions tied to autism

Having a genetic predisposition to inflammation is linked to structural changes in brain regions implicated in neurodevelopmental conditions.

By Rachel Zamzow
6 May 2022 | 5 min read
child sticking tongue out and making a face while holding chopsticks

In autism, food quirks show up in social brain areas

Young adults with autism who have intense sensitivity to taste show increased activation in social areas of the brain when they taste something sweet.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
15 November 2017 | 3 min read
woman looking behind her with fearful expression

Face processing may improve over time in children with autism

The activity of the brain's face detector, the fusiform gyrus, in response to faces is greater in adolescents with autism than it is in younger children with the condition.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
13 November 2017 | 3 min read
Brain bank slice of brain in lab

Banking on brains for clues to autism

New initiatives aim to increase brain donations for autism research and maximize what scientists can learn from these precious specimens.

By Katie Moisse
1 November 2017 | 20 min read

Face learning; mosaic inheritance; nosy scientists and more

A monkey study suggests facial recognition is not innate, a puzzle piece symbol carries negative connotations, and scientists are using a federal law to snoop on colleagues.

By Emily Willingham
8 September 2017 | 5 min read

Brain scans sniff out root of unusual sense of smell in autism

People with autism who are acutely sensitive to smells have unusually weak connections between a brain region that processes social stimuli and one that integrates sensory information.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
14 November 2016 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Brain signature characterizes boys with autism

Activity in the social brain circuit can distinguish a boy who has autism from a typically developing boy with 76 percent accuracy.

By Jessica Wright
19 May 2016 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Map of socioeconomic opportunity in the United States next to visualizations of functional connectivity and structure in sensory and motor cortices.

IQ’s link to brain structure, function in children may be a mirage

A child’s socioeconomic status, screen time and amount of sleep all show stronger associations with measures of brain structure and function, according to an imaging study of nearly 12,000 9- to 10-year-olds.

By Natalia Mesa
11 June 2026 | 5 min read
Photo collage of Tempest McDonald.

When autistic kids grow up, Chapter 2: “You need to go to college”

With just a high school equivalency degree and struggling as a single mother, Tempest McDonald is forced to shift her priorities.

By Brady Huggett
11 June 2026 | 28 min listen
Research image of X-linked RNAs in male mice.

Noncoding RNA sways core autism traits in mice

Small deletions in an X-linked RNA alter social and repetitive behaviors in male mice without broadly affecting learning or memory.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
11 June 2026 | 4 min read