Chirag Mehra

Does Tylenol Cause Autism? Podcast Episode · Science Vs · 18/09/2025 · 28m

Easily understandable podcast on autism and Tylenol by Science Vs.
It explains that paracetamol does not 'cause' autism. It also explains why, initially, some studies found a correlation between the two.
Correlation is not causation.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/d...

Spent a long time looking for a can of Sprite being caught by a fancy astronaut thing.

Mood.

Meme by @pedromics.bsky.social

EEG functional connectivity as a prognostic biomarker of adaptive function in autistic people https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.17.25327836v1

👉 These EEG metrics may be developed to identify groups of autistic people at risk of declining adaptive function skills and may enable targeted early interventions. They may also be used to stratify groups of autistic people in clinical trials, making trials more effective and affordable.

The metrics were particularly effective predictors in autistic people aged 15-21 years – a key transitional period of development.

⚡️ The EEG measures:
✅ Outperformed behavioural predictors of adaptive function
✅ Showed high test-retest reliability
✅ Were associated with brain-volume genes

EEG functional connectivity as a prognostic biomarker of adaptive function in autistic people Many autistic people have challenges with adaptive function, impacting education, employment and independent-living goals. Adaptive function outcomes of autistic people vary considerably, which makes ...

🧠 Preprint Alert!
We show the first evidence that EEG brain-connectivity measures can predict changes in adaptive functioning (skills applied to navigate the everyday environment in a self-sufficient manner) in #autistic people.

📄 Read the full text: doi.org/10.1101/2025...

#EEG #Biomarkers #Neuro

Updated pre-print on @biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social

doi: doi.org/10.1101/2025...

#Neuroscience #EEG #functionalconnectivity

Along the way, I also investigated neurobiological mechanisms of brain functional connectivity and quantified synaptic density in autistic adults.

Developing approaches to address adaptive function outcomes are a research priority of autistic people.

The core aim of this work was to develop a neurobiology-informed approach to predict adaptive function outcomes in autistic people. Adaptive function skills are those needed to independently navigate the day-to-day world.

Brain Functional Connectivity in Autism

I did a thing!

My #PhD thesis on Brain Functional Connectivity in #Autism is now publicly available!

I've included a lay summary to make this work more approachable. Please reach out with any Qs. Thanks to everyone who made this possible!

@phdvoice.bsky.social #neuroscience

shorturl.at/3voH2

Really important session at #INSAR2025 on improving employment outcomes for #autistic young adults.

A key pillar in improving quality of life for autistic people.

Looking forward to sharing findings from our
@aims2trials.bsky.social translational study on synaptic density in #autism at #INSAR2025! Check out my talk at the 'Rare Genetic Models in Autism' session on May 1, 2:00 PM-3:00 PM, Room 606-607.

Autism phenotype versus registered diagnosis in Swedish children: prevalence trends over 10 years in general population samples Objective To compare the annual prevalence of the autism symptom phenotype and of registered diagnoses for autism spectrum disorder during a 10 year period in children. Design Population based study....

A large study in Sweden found levels of autism *symptoms* were constant over time, even as autism *diagnoses* increased (implying broadening diagnostic criteria rather than real underlying increase) www.bmj.com/content/350/...

Autistic doctors: leveraging insider perspectives to improve healthcare… | Mary Doherty Autistic doctors: leveraging insider perspectives to improve healthcare for autistic people https://lnkd.in/eZyabdb7 Finally, after 4 months of pain, I am sharing my PhD thesis. I’m struggling today....

Autistic doctors: leveraging insider perspectives to improve healthcare for autistic people
www.linkedin.com/posts/mary-d...

On way home after an emotional last meeting of @aims2trials.bsky.social in Nice.
This is not how participants were described at the start! So grateful to courageous researchers who listened & @elizaeaton.bsky.social for expert coordination of A-Reps group. Together we made a positive difference 😎

We have finished participant recruitment for the @aims2trials.bsky.social LEAP-Epilepsy Study at @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social!

We investigate co-occurring #autism & #epilepsy.

A HUGE thank you to all 80 families that participated!

Watch our co-produced Webinar to learn more: shorturl.at/FQ2m8

Today is the international day of the Woman and Girl in Science. To all badass women, scientists keep doing what you do: discovery, mentorship, and hard work. YOU belong in SCIENE.
To others, uplift the Women scientists you know, cite them, promote them, sponsor them, invite them - be an upstander.

Was a pleasure to give a podium presentation on our @aims2trials.bsky.social research at the British Paediatric Neurology Association Annual Conference in Oxford this week! 🧠 Discussed our work on developing EEG-based prognostic biomarkers to predict adaptive function outcomes in #autism. #BPNA2025

Zero-phase-delay connectivity increases the reliability, concordance with structure, and prognostic ability of functional connectivity metrics https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.04.631256v1

Our findings present a shift to how the field should consider and handle zero-phase-delay functional connectivity.

Have a read and let me know your thoughts!

#Neuroscience #Neuroimaging #EEG #brainconnectivity

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📊 Findings:
Using a novel approach, we found that most FC occurs with zero-phase-delay, even when artefactual connectivity is likely negligible. Including zero-phase connectivity increased the reliability, convergence with neurobiology and prognostic ability of functional connectivity metrics.

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⚠️ The problem:
But, we didn’t know how much ‘true’ FC we were discarding when excluding zero-phase-delay connectivity.

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📢 Why it matters:
Over the last 20+ years, analyses have increasingly favoured zero-phase-exclusive methods. This is because artefactual FC (e.g. from volume conduction and signal leakage) also occurs with zero-phase-delay.

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📢 Why it matters:
Functional connectivity can occur with zero-phase-delay (brain activity in connected regions occurs synchronously), or a phase-delay (activity in one region follows the other). All EEG/MEG functional connectivity methods are either zero-phase inclusive or exclusive.

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Zero-phase-delay connectivity increases the reliability, concordance with structure, and prognostic ability of functional connectivity metrics Zero-phase-delay synchrony between the activity of distant neural populations has been robustly observed. Nevertheless, contemporary electroencephalography and magnetencephalography functional connect...

🎉 New Year, New Preprint.

Happy to share the first preprint from my #PhD! 🧠

🤔 TL;DR:
Our findings are relevant to anyone using EEG / MEG functional connectivity analyses. They affect the choice of method when analysing your data.

Check it out and tell me your thoughts: shorturl.at/TD3wc

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