Articles tagged with Cognitive Neuroscience
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People with mild dementia struggle to understand speech in both quiet and acoustically challenging situations. Effective communication strategies include speaking clearly and slowly, reducing background noise, and providing contextual information.
A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine showed that a fast-tracked stroke drug, 3K3A-APC, protected mice from injury to the brain's white matter, a leading cause of dementia. The drug may also be effective in slowing down progression of cognitive impairment.
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have successfully combined a memory function with a calculation function in the same component, enabling more efficient technologies like mobile phones and self-driving cars. The discovery opens the way for brain-like computers that can perform tasks effectively and energy efficiently.
Researchers found that participants with moderate dementia performed better in cluttered environments, while those with mild and severe dementia showed no significant difference. The study suggests that adapting physical environments to suit individual needs may be more effective than de-cluttering in supporting people with dementia.
A long-term study has revealed that drinking higher amounts of coffee may make you less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. The study found an association between coffee and several important markers related to Alzheimer’s disease, including executive function and amyloid protein accumulation in the brain.
Research found that people who rated their sleep as poor also felt older and had a more negative perception of their ageing. This study suggests that addressing sleep difficulties could promote a better perception of ageing and have other health benefits.
A study from Boston Children's Hospital found that inadequate sleep can jeopardize brain organization in early adolescence, leading to deficits in cognitive processes such as attention, reward, and memory. The research identified racial disparities in the impact of sleep on brain networks, with non-white participants experiencing dispr...
A new study in mice reveals that the insular cortex plays a crucial role in balancing fear responses, integrating sensory and bodily signals to maintain an adaptive range. The InsCtx function depends on bodily feedback signals, dampening excessive fear-evoked activity and promoting healthy fear regulation.
Researchers at the University of Trento discovered brain cells acting as a compass for navigating conceptual spaces, similar to those found in physical environments. These 'head-direction cells' signal direction even when movement occurs in abstract spaces, suggesting a complementary mechanism for conceptual navigation.
A new study published in Autism highlights the benefits of early diagnosis and treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children diagnosed before 2.5 years old showed considerable improvements in core social symptoms compared to those diagnosed later in life. Early intervention is critical, emphasizing the need for u...
Researchers developed metrics to quantify information in animal responses to reward feedback, showing that animals exhibit undermatching behavior. The new metrics provide a way to predict this deviation from the matching law, offering insights into adaptive behavior and decision-making.
Researchers identified areas of the infant visual cortex that already show strong preferences for faces, bodies, or scenes, similar to those in adults. This challenges the traditional view that these regions take years to develop, suggesting a more rapid emergence of specialized brain structures.
Researchers found that human neurons have a lower density of ion channels compared to other mammals, suggesting an evolutionary adaptation for energy efficiency. This difference in channel density may enable the human brain to allocate more resources to complex cognitive processes.
A new study on mice finds that cognitive training designed to focus on what's important while ignoring distractions can enhance the brain's information processing. The research suggests that this type of training can lead to improved learning and memory, particularly in novel tasks. By analyzing neural activity in the hippocampus durin...
Researchers at the University of Toronto have demonstrated that listening to personally meaningful music induces beneficial brain plasticity in patients with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer's disease. The study showed changes in neural pathways correlated with increased memory performance on neuropsychological tests, suppo...
Researchers found that glatiramer acetate improved cognitive behavior and reduced amyloid plaques in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. This study suggests therapies targeting the immune system could be effective in treating the disease.
A new study suggests that greater cumulative estrogen exposure in life may counter the brain-shrinking effect of menopause. Women with longer reproductive years, more children, and hormone therapy showed increased gray matter volume in certain brain areas. This protective effect may help reduce Alzheimer's risk in women.
Researchers uncover how sensory inputs and cognitive processes interact in the brain to create our perception of the world. The study explores the neural basis of perceptual phenomena, shedding light on disorders like ADHD, autism, and Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers identified a gene family called MEF2 that controls a genetic program promoting resistance to cognitive decline. Enriching activities appear to activate MEF2, which may help prevent age-related dementia.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy alleviated cognitive dysfunction, improved cerebral blood flow, and reduced amyloid burden in Alzheimer's disease models. In elderly patients with significant memory loss, HBOT showed an increase in cerebral blood flow and improvement in cognitive performance, demonstrating its therapeutic effects.
Severely malnourished children who consumed ready-to-use therapeutic food fortified with DHA showed significant improvement in gross and fine motor abilities, language proficiencies, and social skills. The findings suggest that reducing omega-6 fatty acid levels can also aid neurological development.
A new Dartmouth study found that a neural code shared across brains is responsible for recognizing familiar faces, including social and personal information. The study used hyperalignment to align brain responses into a common space, revealing high decoding accuracy in areas outside of visual processing.
A recent study suggests that Long-COVID symptoms, such as cognitive deficits and fatigue, may be attributed to fatigue rather than pathological changes in the brain. Neuroimaging results showed no significant differences in cerebral glucose metabolism or brain pathology between patients with long-COVID and healthy controls.
Researchers found that future goals are represented by a pattern of neural activity resembling previous visits, and this activity can re-emerge upon decision to target a location. The orbitofrontal cortex plays a key role in representing future goals during navigation.
A chatbot tested with 338 individuals showed a 37% increase in positive views of vaccination and a 20% decrease in vaccine refusal after just a few minutes of interaction. The study suggests that the chatbot could be an effective tool to reduce vaccine hesitancy.
A study published in Nature Communications identifies a specific form of autism caused by an excessive number of synapses in the cerebral cortex, potentially guiding the development of future treatments. The research found that inhibiting mTOR protein activity can restore synaptic function and connectivity.
Researchers studied head tilting in dogs that could learn toy names and found a relationship between head tilts and processing relevant stimuli. Consistent side tilts were observed for each individual dog over time.
A new study finds that relying on online search can lead to overconfidence in one's own knowledge, blurring the lines between internal and external memory. This can affect decision-making, particularly in high-stakes areas like medicine and finance.
Research identified a deficit in activation of positive valence processing soon after trauma, suggesting its role in resilience to PTSD. The study found that decreased activity in the ventral striatum predicted more severe PTSD symptoms at 14 months.
A study published in Nature Communications found that the diameter of participants' pupils varies according to the perceived number of dots, indicating a relationship between numerical information and perception. This ability has practical implications for early identification of dyscalculia in young children.
Aging affects bilateral coordination, particularly anti-phase movement, by altering alpha and beta neural activity. Researchers discovered that older subjects displayed lower synchronization between sides of the body during anti-phase movements, making such tasks more challenging.
A new UCLA Health study suggests that breastfeeding may have a positive impact on postmenopausal women's cognitive performance, potentially preventing cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. Women who breastfed their babies performed better on cognitive tests compared to those who did not.
Researchers suggest that cognition is a group activity, not an individual one. Studies show brain regions activated in people communicating or cooperating on tasks, highlighting the need to look beyond individual brains.
Researchers found that people's pupils dilate more in response to metaphors than to literal or concrete statements. The study suggests that everyday metaphors, often considered clichés, play a significant role in engaging our brains and conveying richer meaning.
A new study found that retired male elite rugby union players aged 50+ who suffered three or more rugby-related concussions during their career have no worse average cognitive function than those with no, one, or two concussions. However, over-75s with a history of multiple concussions showed significantly worse cognitive function on a...
A new MIT study suggests that pedestrians choose routes that point most directly toward their destination, even if those routes are longer. This strategy, known as vector-based navigation, may have evolved to allow the brain to devote more power to other tasks.
The study found that memories of objects from stressful situations rely on similar brain activity as memories of the stress trigger itself. This suggests that the mechanism reinforcing emotional memories is rooted in the neural link between important aspects of the episode and the stress trigger.
Researchers analysed publicly available comments in response to nature video content on Facebook during the UK's first national Covid-19 lockdown. The study found that engaging with this virtual nature content helped people cope with stress and mental fatigue, and increased feelings of connectedness to nature and others.
Researchers at UC San Diego will document brain development from birth through early childhood, focusing on environmental factors and mental disorders. The HBCD study aims to optimize brain imaging technologies and predict future behavioral problems.
A University of Kansas study examined three key cognitive functions in teaching writing to Hispanic English learners, revealing word retrieval skills, verbal language skills, and working memory are crucial for success. The research highlights the negative effects of a lack of bilingual education on these students' writing abilities.
Research associates gray matter and white matter neurodegeneration with subjective cognitive complaints, highlighting potential non-AD pathologies. Neurodegeneration processes affect brain areas not typically targeted by Alzheimer's disease.
The USC Stevens INI is partnering with Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Miami to merge Alzheimer's disease data from over 30 datasets, producing a large-scale, standardized set of clearly defined data. This harmonization will enable large-scale machine learning analysis to better characterize the genetic basis...
A study found that meditation training reduced chronic stress by 25% through decreased cortisol levels in hair. The researchers used a 9-month training programme to measure the effect, and the results showed that only sufficiently long training leads to significant stress-reducing effects.
Researchers created a wiring diagram of critical brain circuits using mouse models, providing insights into the primary motor cortex's wiring. The study pinpoints smaller circuits that process specific functions, such as movement control and emotional input, and could reveal new treatment targets for neurodegenerative disorders.
Researchers create detailed atlas of mouse cerebrum, revealing distinct cell types and gene regulatory elements. The study provides insights into brain organization and function, with potential implications for human neurological diseases and traits.
International experts discuss the clinical and therapeutic applications of neuropsychological assessment, highlighting its contributions to neurorehabilitation and cognitive performance. The articles explore performance validity testing, teleneuropsychology, and the nexus of neuropsychology and neuroimaging.
Researchers discovered a distinct brain signature associated with team flow, characterized by increased beta and gamma waves in the middle temporal cortex. This neural pattern is linked to enhanced information processing and synchronization between teammates during the team flow state.
Researchers found that an existing drug, prucalopride, can improve cognitive function by enhancing activity in brain areas related to memory. In a study of 44 healthy volunteers, those taking prucalopride performed better on a memory test and showed increased activity in the hippocampus and right angular gyrus.
Researchers found that bilinguals are better at spotting grammatical illusions, a type of manipulative discourse. Bilingual participants detected 56% of the constructions, while monolinguals only succeeded 39%. However, bilinguals needed more time to respond.
Researchers used fractal analysis to study brain network patterns while listening to a story. The results show that complex thoughts are reflected in high-order dynamic correlations in neural activity patterns.
Researchers tracked fruit flies' ability to interpret information while asleep, discovering a specific brain region involved in processing salient smells. The study used defined fly brains to analyze neural connections, finding that aversive odors woke the flies up more often than attractive ones.
A new study in mice reveals that fragile X treatment can incur resistance, but also identifies potential strategies to overcome this. Administering mGluR5 inhibitors at a young age and then stopping may produce lasting benefits in cognitive ability.
Problem-solving therapy led to short-term changes in the amygdala, a key region for emotion regulation, in individuals with comorbid depression and obesity. The study suggests that neural target changes at two months predicted improved behavioral outcomes after 12 months.
A neural model suggests that conspiracy theories are a result of the brain's tendency to simplify complex information and associate it with emotional experiences. This theory challenges traditional views on the origins of conspiracy theories, proposing a link between genetic determinism and neuronal activity.
A team of researchers at Kennedy Krieger Institute developed a new method to diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) using a single 2D camera. The Computer Assessment of Motor Imitation (CAMI) method provides greater access to patients and shows accurate assessment with 2D technology.
A systematic review found spatial neglect to be prevalent among 29% of unilateral stroke survivors, with higher rates in right brain strokes and ecological assessments. This condition impairs cognitive and motor functions, slowing rehabilitation progress and increasing risk for injury.
A study by Boston University researcher Jennifer Zuk found that the brain's organizational pathways, known as white matter, set a foundation for language learning abilities within the first year of life. This is reflected in children born with higher indications of white matter organization having better language skills five years later.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham discovered that humans process written words rapidly, using pre-processing judgments within 100ms, and that this activity is linked to the complexity of the word. This study has significant implications for diagnosing and training individuals with dyslexia where pre-processing is impaired.
A new VA study finds a strong connection between PTSD symptom severity and anxiety sensitivity among female Veterans who experienced military sexual trauma. Treating anxiety may ease core PTSD symptoms, suggesting anxiety sensitivity as a potential target for treatment.
A recent study by University of Missouri-Columbia professor Linda Bullock found that infants of mothers with only one abusive partner had worse cognitive outcomes compared to those with multiple male partners, including some who were abusive. This suggests that the absence of support from a father figure can hinder a child's development.