Welcome to the July 2025 Learning Brain News.

Enjoy this month's instalment of our newsletter. As always, it is packed with links that you may find interesting. Here are some that especially caught our attention:

• Recommendations to make AI safer for young people
• A massive study of over 700,000 autistic individuals
• Tips for using educational neuroscience in schools

The Learning Brain News Team 

Decades-old Assumptions About Brain Plasticity Upended

Your brain doesn’t just send messages through one universal route, it uses separate pathways for spontaneous activity and signals linked to learning. These findings overturn a major neuroscience assumption and reveal how the brain maintains stability while staying flexible. Understanding this split system could shed light on neurological disorders where this balance breaks down.

Brain-Computer Interface Helps Paralysed Users Feel Again

In a breakthrough study, researchers using a brain-computer interface (BCI) enabled paralyzed users to restore their lost sense of touch. 

Participants described vivid and unique sensations and could correctly identify objects by touch alone better than chance. This research highlights how customizable sensory feedback can make neuroprosthetics more intuitive, personal, and ultimately more functional in everyday life.

Guardrails, Education Urged to Protect Adolescent AI Users

A new report calls on developers to prioritise AI features to protect young people from exploitation, manipulation and the erosion of real-world relationships.

Listening to the 700,000 Voices of Autism

A massive study of over 700,000 Reddit posts has given researchers a unique window into the lived experiences of autistic individuals. The study grouped posts into recurring themes like music, food, friendships, and emotional challenges.

Rise in ADHD Diagnoses Reflects Greater Education, Not Prevalence

ADHD prevalence rates in adults and children remain steady, suggesting that increased diagnosis rates reflect improved understanding and training, diagnostic tools, and self-advocacy skills.

7 Tips - Make Educational Neuroscience Work in your School

Educators and schools around the world are increasingly using the knowledge, techniques, and programs developed from a new understanding of how our brains learn. They are applying neuroscience in their classrooms. Find out how you can here.