# Most-cited Neuroscience papers of 2020, with free PDFs

The 25 most-cited Neuroscience research papers published in 2020, ranked by citations in OpenAlex, with their original abstracts and free PDFs where available.

1. [Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2016](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3027179734) · 3,790 citations · Free PDF
2. [Neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative disorders: the roles of microglia and astrocytes](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3107395714) · 2,566 citations · Free PDF
3. [Large-Scale Exome Sequencing Study Implicates Both Developmental and Functional Changes in the Neurobiology of Autism](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W2955503846) · 2,328 citations · Free PDF
4. [A blood–brain barrier overview on structure, function, impairment, and biomarkers of integrity](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3104682194) · 1,834 citations · Free PDF
5. [Safety and recommendations for TMS use in healthy subjects and patient populations, with updates on training, ethical and regulatory issues: Expert Guidelines](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3093743108) · 1,555 citations
6. [Self-reported Olfactory and Taste Disorders in Patients With Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus 2 Infection: A Cross-sectional Study](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3013488343) · 1,330 citations
7. [Motor Learning and Control : Concepts and Applications](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W1566187042) · 1,314 citations
8. [Allostatic Load and Its Impact on Health: A Systematic Review](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3049339894) · 1,252 citations
9. [Non-neuronal expression of SARS-CoV-2 entry genes in the olfactory system suggests mechanisms underlying COVID-19-associated anosmia](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3044382958) · 1,199 citations · Free PDF
10. [A connectome and analysis of the adult Drosophila central brain](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3016007634) · 1,154 citations · Free PDF
11. [Glymphatic failure as a final common pathway to dementia](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3089407290) · 1,131 citations
12. [Autism spectrum disorder: definition, epidemiology, causes, and clinical evaluation](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W2981275956) · 1,112 citations
13. [Neuroinflammation and depression: A review](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3010535096) · 1,101 citations
14. [Memory engrams: Recalling the past and imagining the future](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W2998470023) · 1,099 citations
15. [ROS Generation in Microglia: Understanding Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Neurodegenerative Disease](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3048426432) · 1,034 citations · Free PDF
16. [Circadian rhythm disruption and mental health](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3000776101) · 1,016 citations · Free PDF
17. [Overview of General and Discriminating Markers of Differential Microglia Phenotypes](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3047765583) · 1,003 citations · Free PDF
18. [Neurotrophic Factor BDNF, Physiological Functions and Therapeutic Potential in Depression, Neurodegeneration and Brain Cancer](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3094053673) · 979 citations · Free PDF
19. [Stress and Health: A Review of Psychobiological Processes](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3083453839) · 939 citations
20. [Inflammatory markers in depression: A meta-analysis of mean differences and variability in 5,166 patients and 5,083 controls](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3007172709) · 930 citations
21. [Emotion regulation.](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W4248081654) · 926 citations
22. [Immune responses to stroke: mechanisms, modulation, and therapeutic potential](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3022448963) · 848 citations
23. [Synaptic Plasticity Forms and Functions](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3007169267) · 811 citations
24. [Smell dysfunction: a biomarker for COVID‐19](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3017008398) · 801 citations
25. [Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3015170488) · 793 citations

Canonical page: https://nerdi.pages.dev/papers/neuroscience/most-cited-2020