OCD

Recent articles

Research image of microglia in rats.

Temperament is innate but hackable, animal studies suggest

Emotional reactivity and vulnerability to stress are largely inherited in rodents — but can be modified in early life by targeting inflammation-related cells or even just adjusting an animal’s environment.

By Holly Barker
23 January 2024 | 8 min read
Three researchers, one wearing movement-tracking devices, walk around a university campus.

‘Into the wild’: Moving studies of memory and learning out of the lab

People with electrodes embedded deep in their brain are collaborating with a growing posse of plucky researchers to uncover the mysteries of real-world recall.

By Katie Moisse
13 November 2023 | 9 min listen
Young woman sitting alone at window in the shadows.

Autistic LGBTQ+ people report frequent mental health problems

The co-occurring conditions may stem from the heightened stress people in minority communities experience.

By Niko McCarty
16 May 2022 | 2 min read
four figures overlapping in red and blue with multi-colored genetic info
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Common variants link autism, ADHD, Tourette syndrome

Genetic variants that contribute to autism may also be involved in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Tourette syndrome, according to a new study.

By Laura Dattaro
2 February 2021 | 4 min read
Brain hemispheres color-coded.
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Autism shares brain structure changes with other psychiatric conditions

Atypical development of a particular type of neuron explains the structural similarities seen in the brains of people with autism, schizophrenia and other conditions, according to a new study.

By Angie Voyles Askham
1 October 2020 | 5 min read
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Repetitive behaviors and ‘stimming’ in autism, explained

Restricted interests and repetitive behaviors constitute one of two criteria that define autism in the diagnostic manual for psychiatry.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
31 January 2020 | 6 min read
Illustration shows a large red floating blob that says "PANDAS" while smaller, blue blobs float around it with phrases "autism," "OCD," "ADHD" and "TOURETTE SYNDROME"

How a controversial condition called PANDAS is gaining ground on autism

Some scientists say an immune condition called PANDAS affects as many as 1 in 200 children who have traits similar to those of autism. But many experts contest that figure — and even the condition's very existence.

By Brendan Borrell
8 January 2020 | 18 min read
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Rethinking repetitive behaviors in autism

Autistic people have long maintained that repetitive behaviors are beneficial. Emerging evidence in support of this idea is shaping new therapies.

By Rachel Zamzow
25 November 2019 | 13 min listen

Enlarged amygdala may forecast anxiety, depression in autistic children

A tiny chunk of the brain’s emotion enter, the amygdala, is enlarged in some autistic children; the larger this piece, the more anxious and depressed the child is likely to be.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
22 October 2019 | 2 min read
brain made of thread shows OCD loop in colored thread

Untangling the ties between autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder

Autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder frequently accompany each other; Scientists are studying both to understand how they differ.

By Daisy Yuhas
27 February 2019 | 13 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of cranes attempting to assemble a structure out of very small black squares.

Reconstructing dopamine’s link to reward

The field is grappling with whether to modify the long-standing theory of reward prediction error—or abandon it entirely.

By Angie Voyles Askham
13 September 2024 | 18 min read
Illustration of cranes attempting to assemble a structure out of very small black squares.

Dopamine and the need for alternative theories

Some experimental findings are inconsistent with the dominant model of reward prediction error, highlighting the need for alternative testable and falsifiable models for dopamine function.

By Vijay Mohan K. Namboodiri
13 September 2024 | 7 min read
Illustration of several structures constructed out of small black squares, with scaffolding on some of the structures.

Does a new theory of dopamine replace the classic model?

My answer would be no, but the model poses challenges that will sharpen our understanding of dopamine and learning.

By Naoshige Uchida
13 September 2024 | 8 min read