# Most-cited Neuroscience papers of 2021, with free PDFs

The 25 most-cited Neuroscience research papers published in 2021, ranked by citations in OpenAlex, with their original abstracts and free PDFs where available.

1. [Perineuronal nets stabilize the grid cell network](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3120392574) · 1,866 citations · Free PDF
2. [Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2018](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3216151710) · 1,819 citations · Free PDF
3. [The role of prefrontal cortex in cognitive control and executive function](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3195973239) · 1,732 citations · Free PDF
4. [Obesity: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Therapeutics](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3198259760) · 1,268 citations · Free PDF
5. [Neuropixels 2.0: A miniaturized high-density probe for stable, long-term brain recordings](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3142226569) · 1,179 citations · Free PDF
6. [Leptin and Obesity: Role and Clinical Implication](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3161404038) · 1,111 citations · Free PDF
7. [Hearing loss prevalence and years lived with disability, 1990–2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3134601984) · 1,110 citations · Free PDF
8. [Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy (SNT): A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3208689015) · 793 citations
9. [The semantics of microglia activation: neuroinflammation, homeostasis, and stress](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3211761706) · 781 citations · Free PDF
10. [The blood–brain barrier in systemic infection and inflammation](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3202683854) · 741 citations · Free PDF
11. [Annual Research Review: Shifting from ‘normal science’ to neurodiversity in autism science](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3208557763) · 727 citations
12. [An Attention-Based Deep Learning Approach for Sleep Stage Classification With Single-Channel EEG](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3158818505) · 699 citations
13. [Cognitive and behavioural flexibility: neural mechanisms and clinical considerations](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3128518091) · 696 citations · Free PDF
14. [Skull and vertebral bone marrow are myeloid cell reservoirs for the meninges and CNS parenchyma](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3164896384) · 672 citations
15. [Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction Amplifies the Development of Neuroinflammation: Understanding of Cellular Events in Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells for Prevention and Treatment of BBB Dysfunction](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3200709465) · 641 citations
16. [Brain tumor segmentation based on deep learning and an attention mechanism using MRI multi-modalities brain images](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3164956625) · 635 citations · Free PDF
17. [A brain-computer interface that evokes tactile sensations improves robotic arm control](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3161143221) · 615 citations · Free PDF
18. [Guidelines for Management of Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (Third Edition): Endorsed by the Japanese Society of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3122065698) · 598 citations · Free PDF
19. [Fluid transport in the brain](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3159077390) · 598 citations
20. [Evidence-Based Practices for Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Autism: Third Generation Review](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3118726617) · 594 citations · Free PDF
21. [A Conceptual Analysis of Autistic Masking: Understanding the Narrative of Stigma and the Illusion of Choice](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3121580719) · 593 citations
22. [MRI-Based Brain Tumor Classification Using Ensemble of Deep Features and Machine Learning Classifiers](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3136979370) · 591 citations · Free PDF
23. [Neuroprosthesis for Decoding Speech in a Paralyzed Person with Anarthria](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3180220247) · 585 citations
24. [The developmental trajectories of executive function from adolescence to old age](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3116908532) · 578 citations · Free PDF
25. [Microglia and Central Nervous System–Associated Macrophages—From Origin to Disease Modulation](https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3127341444) · 574 citations

Canonical page: https://nerdi.pages.dev/papers/neuroscience/most-cited-2021