For years, mainstream neurodevelopmental research overwhelmingly focused on abnormalities within the cerebral cortex—the brain region responsible for thinking, learning, and processing information—as the primary driver of autism.
However, a May 2026 study suggests that another part of the brain, the cerebellum, may play a much larger role than ever thought.
Researchers discovered that perineuronal nets (PNNs), the tiny supportive structures surrounding cerebellar neurons, help maintain healthy communication across brain networks involved in social behavior.
