Early Brain Networks at Birth Linked to Future Social Behavior
New findings reveal that key social brain networks are active at birth, influencing social behaviors and potentially autism risk later in life. Learn about the early development of social perception pathways in infants.
Recent research from Yale School of Medicine has revealed that a specific brain network active at birth plays a pivotal role in shaping social behaviors later in life. The study, published in Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science, shows that the social perception pathway—comprising regions involved in processing faces, speech, and gaze—is already highly connected within a few weeks after birth.
Understanding the development of this pathway is crucial because reduced attention to faces is a key indicator of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While previous studies suggested that social brain networks develop over time, this new research demonstrates that they are quite functional at a very early stage.
Using data from the Developing Human Connectome Project, researchers analyzed brain imaging from infants up to 10 months old. They found that the connectivity within this social perception network was already robust within the first few weeks after birth. Notably, similar connectivity patterns were observed in children with a family history of ASD, indicating this pathway’s early development might be linked to later social difficulties.
Longitudinal observations showed that infants with stronger connectivity in this pathway at birth paid more attention to faces at four months old. This increased attention was associated with fewer social challenges by 18 months. These findings suggest that the foundational neural circuits for social attention are established shortly after birth, influencing social engagement skills development.
The interdisciplinary team at Yale continues to investigate how early brain connectivity impacts social attention and engagement, aiming to enhance understanding of typical and atypical development. This research provides valuable insights into the neurobiological basis of social behavior and may inform early interventions for autism and related conditions.
For more details, see the full study: Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science, 2025.
Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-brain-network-birth-linked-social.html
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