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 | 10 min read
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

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.

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
two layers of hands in motion overlap in red and blue

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

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 read

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 five purple rectangles arranged three-dimensionally like folders on a black background with a pattern of white dots and white plus signs.

Highly cited autism paper earns expression of concern over data duplications

The notice, published in Nature last week, also addressed an image duplication identified by a prominent research-integrity sleuth.

By Madeline Shaw
16 October 2026 | 4 min read
Illustration of pixellated MRI scans morphing into the scales of justice.

Govern neurodata by how it’s used, not where it’s from

New neurodata laws will shape how researchers gather, share and reuse brain data. A use-based governance protects basic researchers and those whose data are being used, without freezing science.

By José M. Muñoz
16 October 2026 | 7 min read
Illustration of two hands grasping a pink oval and a green oval, bordered on the left and right by columns of red ovals and multicolor and gray circles.

How new technologies can bring primatologists and systems neuroscientists together

The two groups study the same behavioral phenomena yet rarely interact or read each other's work—a mutual blind spot that weakens both fields. New technologies offer a chance to bring them together.

By Sjoerd Murris
15 October 2026 | 6 min read