Fragile X Study Finds Brainwave Link in Humans, Mice

Researchers identify a biomarker for fragile X syndrome that is shared across species, opening new avenues for treatment research.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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A team of MIT researchers has identified a biomarker for fragile X syndrome that is shared between humans and mice. By measuring brainwaves, the researchers found specific patterns of low-frequency activity that differ between those with and without fragile X. This cross-species connection provides a new tool to directly compare the effects of potential treatments in both humans and animal models.

Why it matters

Fragile X is the most common inherited form of autism, but treatments that work well in mice have often disappointed in human trials. This new biomarker gives researchers a non-invasive, objective way to assess treatment efficacy across species, which could accelerate the development of effective therapies.

The details

The researchers measured EEG in human boys and men with and without fragile X, as well as in male mice with and without the genetic alteration that models the disorder. They found that in both adult humans and mice with fragile X, there is a shift in the peak of low-frequency brainwaves to a slower frequency. In children and juvenile mice, the key difference is a reduced power in that same peak. Further experiments in mice linked these brainwave patterns to specific inhibitory neural activity, particularly in somatostatin-expressing interneurons. The researchers also showed that the biomarker could detect the effects of even single doses of the drug arbaclofen, which enhances inhibition in the brain and is a potential treatment for fragile X.

  • The study was published on February 12, 2026.

The players

Sara Kornfeld-Sylla

A postdoc who led the research and developed the novel analysis approach.

Mark Bear

A Picower Professor at MIT and faculty member in The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, who supervised the research.

Boston Children's Hospital

Collaborated with the MIT researchers to gather and share data for the study.

Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation

Collaborated with the MIT researchers to gather and share data for the study.

Cincinnati Children's Hospital

Collaborated with the MIT researchers to gather and share data for the study.

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What they’re saying

“This research weaves together these different datasets and finds the connection between the brainwave activity that's happening in fragile X humans that is different from typically developed humans and in the fragile X mouse model that is different than the 'wild-type' mice.”

— Sara Kornfeld-Sylla, Postdoc (Mirage News)

“Because that is something we can measure in mice and humans minimally invasively, you can pose the question: if drug treatment X affects this signature in the mouse, at what dose does that same drug treatment change that same signature in a human?”

— Mark Bear, Picower Professor, MIT (Mirage News)

What’s next

The researchers plan to further investigate how the brainwave biomarker relates to the underlying neural activity and pathophysiology of fragile X syndrome, as well as test its utility in evaluating the effects of potential treatments in both animal models and human patients.

The takeaway

This study provides a promising new biomarker that can be used to directly compare brain activity between humans and mice with fragile X syndrome. This cross-species connection offers a valuable tool to accelerate the development of effective treatments for this common form of autism.