Decreased amounts of a neurotransmitter called GABA, whose main function is to reduce activity in the brain, leads to changes in the number of neurons in the developing brain and alters signaling between them, according to new research by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The findings could lead to an improved understanding of autism and sensory processing disorders.
There are two kinds of neurons in the cortex: Excitatory neurons “fire” and pass signals on to other neurons and...