Repetitive behaviors

Recent articles

Two rhesus macaque monkeys.

Vasopressin boosts sociability in solitary monkeys

Inhaling the hormone did not increase aggression in unsociable rhesus macaques and appears to help the animals remember faces and reciprocate friendly behaviors.

By Charles Q. Choi
25 November 2024 | 5 min read
A research image of X chromosomes with Fragile X syndrome

Understanding fragile X syndrome

Just in time for Fragile X Awareness Month, The Transmitter rounds up notable coverage.

By Daisy Yuhas
4 July 2024 | 2 min read
A person stands in front of a neatly organized dresser drawer.

Teasing apart insistence on sameness with Mirko Uljarević

The hallmark autism trait has multiple facets, Uljarević and his colleagues have found.

By Lauren Schenkman
30 October 2023 | 6 min read
An illustration of Brian Boyd

Brian Boyd, classroom-based interventions and the importance of representation

The leader of the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute talks about what drew him into the autism field, and his departure from — and return to — the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

By Brady Huggett
1 October 2023 | 65 min listen
A young boy sits alone on a bench in a playground.

Mental health issues emerge with shifts in autism traits across childhood

Anxiety and other challenges autistic children experience may stem from an increase in social-communication issues and a decrease in repetitive behaviors from ages 6 to 11.

By Charles Q. Choi
27 September 2023 | 3 min read
Research image of neurons in mice.

Skewed signaling in striatum may spawn repetitive behaviors

Synaptic changes in the brain region could drive a core trait of fragile X syndrome, a new mouse study suggests.

By Holly Barker
6 September 2023 | 3 min read
Research images of protein synthesis in mice.

Neuronal deafness to stress may add to protein surplus in fragile X

A protective pathway that pauses protein synthesis is muted in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome, according to a new study.

By Holly Barker
29 August 2023 | 3 min listen
Photograph of a family of rhesus macaque monkeys.

Father’s genes may drive sociability in male monkeys

The findings in rhesus macaque monkeys may provide clues to sex differences in the heredity of social behavior in people.

By Charles Q. Choi
18 August 2023 | 3 min read
Research image showing neuronal activity in mice exposed to high-frequency sounds.

Missing mechanism helps solve fragile X protein mystery

Cells from people with fragile X syndrome overproduce — but don’t accumulate — proteins. New work suggests that excessive protein breakdown may account for this discrepancy, and explain some of the syndrome’s traits.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
24 January 2023 | 4 min read
A woman sits and works at a laptop while her daughter sits next to her and looks out of a glass door.

New tool aims to capture full breadth of repetitive behaviors

The measure breaks the behaviors down into eight distinct subdomains — categorization that could prove useful for clinical trials, its creator says.

By Laura Dattaro
13 January 2023 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of two researchers attempting to use a microscope that has been twisted into a knot.

International scientific collaboration is more necessary—yet more challenging—than ever

These partnerships accelerate neuroscience by enabling researchers to share resources and expertise, as well as generate more relevant and reproducible results. But new federal funding restrictions in the United States are putting such collaborations in jeopardy.

By Lucina Q. Uddin
15 September 2025 | 6 min listen
Mother mouse with pups.

Oxytocin shapes both mouse mom and pup behavior

Distressed pups emit distinct cries for help, which depend on oxytocin neurons in their hypothalamus.

By Claudia López Lloreda
11 September 2025 | 5 min read
Research image showing cell activity in a particular region of the mouse thalamus.

Sensory gatekeeper drives seizures, autism-like behaviors in mouse model

The new work, in mice missing the autism-linked gene CNTNAP2, suggests a mechanism to help explain the overlap between epilepsy and autism.

By Diana Kwon
11 September 2025 | 5 min listen

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