Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition characterized by difficulties in social communication and repetitive behaviors, for which no fundamental treatment currently exists. Now, a collaborative research group from Japan has shown that artificially activating a specific neural circuit in the brain can normalize structural abnormalities in the "axon initial segment" of neurons in an ASD mouse model. Consequently, this intervention successfully improved ASD-like behaviors, such as impaired sociability and increased repetitive actions. This breakthrough demonstrates that neural circuit-level abnormalities in ASD are reversible, highlighting the structural regulation of the axon initial segment as a promising new therapeutic target.

Many parents worry about whether they are doing enough for their child's development: should they read more books, practise numbers and letters, or play educational games more often? Research says that parents should also focus on kindergarten.

Researchers studying the ant Formica japonica found that rice straw biochar applied at moderate levels, especially 2.5% to 5%, improved several colony behaviors linked to soil health. Ants in moderately amended soils showed stronger habitat preference, built larger and more complex nests, found food more quickly, and maintained more effective social recognition. However, when the biochar dose reached 10%, the benefits declined and ant survival dropped sharply.

Japanese Manga stories might be better comprehended when read on paper rather than on digital devices, per experiment which also revealed differences in brain region activation patterns