GABA

Recent articles

Ed Kravitz sits at a lab bench with a microscope.

Remembering GABA pioneer Edward Kravitz

The biochemist, who died last month at age 92, was part of the first neurobiology department in the world and showed that gamma-aminobutyric acid is inhibitory.

By Claudia López Lloreda
24 October 2025 | 9 min listen
Research image of microglia in organoids.

Microglia nurture young interneurons

The immune cells secrete a growth factor that “sets the supply of GABAergic interneurons in the developing brain.”

By Lauren Schenkman
28 August 2025 | 4 min read
Research image of excitatory synapses in the prefrontal cortex.

Synaptic anomalies in autistic people support imbalance hypothesis

Increased excitatory and decreased inhibitory synapses in the prefrontal cortex of autistic people suggest broader impacts on brain function and connectivity.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
27 June 2024 | 4 min read
Image of the dorsal raphe area of the brain.

Neurotransmitter switch-up helps fan extreme stress into full-blown fear

The flip occurs when certain neurons in the dorsal raphe start to express the chemical GABA instead of glutamate, a new study shows.

By Claudia López Lloreda
9 April 2024 | 5 min read
A hand reaches from above to add a pill to a stack that is resting against the x-axis of a graph.

Looking at eye tracking’s potential for clinical trials

This month’s Going on Trial newsletter explores how eye tracking might be used beyond helping with diagnosis, among other drug development news.

By Calli McMurray
28 September 2023 | 6 min read
Photograph of white pills and blister pack on blue pastel colored background.

Trials of arbaclofen for autism yield mixed results

Autistic children taking the drug showed improvements in some behaviors but not in their social skills.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
5 May 2023 | 5 min read
Research image of cultured neurons.

Cannabis compound rebalances signaling to quell seizures in mice

Cannabidiol (CBD) blocks the action of a molecule that drives an overexcitability feedback loop in a rodent model of epilepsy.

By Peter Hess
22 March 2023 | 5 min listen

Single gene insufficient to account for dup15q, Angelman traits

UBE3A, a key gene associated with both autism-linked conditions, can explain most — but not all — of the syndromes’ atypical neuronal properties.

By Angie Voyles Askham
21 March 2023 | 6 min read
Illustration of hybrid objects: part light bulb, part lab vial, some in blue and some in red to signify null and replicated results.

Null and Noteworthy: Busting biomarkers; going after GABA; reproducibility illusion

In this edition of Null and Noteworthy, scientists find little to be excited about in research on biomarkers for neurodevelopmental conditions.

By Laura Dattaro
16 February 2023 | 4 min read
A hand reaches from above to add a pill to a stack that is resting against the x-axis of a graph.

Going on Trial: Arbaclofen reboot; cell implants; psilocybin microdoses

Going on Trial rounds up new developments in autism-related drug trials. This month we’re revisiting decade-old data from a trial of arbaclofen for fragile X syndrome and looking into a new implant-based approach to quelling seizures, among other treatment strategies.

By Peter Hess
25 January 2023 | 6 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Psychedelics muddy fMRI results: Q&A with Adam Bauer and Jonah Padawer-Curry

The drugs disrupt the link between vascular and neuronal activity, which complicates interpretations of fMRI data. Adopting a more holistic view of what constitutes brain activity may help, the researchers say.

By Calli McMurray
29 October 2025 | 7 min read
Headshots of Philip Adeniyi, Samir Ahboucha, Willias Masoch and Daniel Gams Massi.

First Pan-African neuroscience journal gets ready to launch

With lower-than-average article processing fees, and issues dedicated to topics important to the continent, the journal hopes to give African neuroscience research much-needed international visibility.

By Lauren Schenkman
28 October 2025 | 5 min listen
Illustration of an open journal featuring lines of text and small illustrations of eyes and mouths.

New method identifies two-hit genetic variation in autism; and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 27 October.

By Jill Adams
28 October 2025 | 2 min read

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