Research on the brain basis of thinking and attention. Covers games and attention, cognitive training platforms, adaptive AI frameworks, and brain-health research.
An international team has received a 10 million euro grant to investigate the evolution of human quantification. The QUANTA project will analyze quantification as a bio-cultural phenomenon, combining insights from anthropology, linguistics, archaeology, and cognitive science.
Researchers found that actively speaking two languages contributes to cognitive reserve and delays the onset of symptoms associated with cognitive decline and dementia. Bilingual individuals had a lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, which is a preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease.
A new study found that only a quarter of Medicare beneficiaries receive structured cognitive assessments during annual wellness visits. The researchers suggest that variations in wellness visits and cognitive assessments between Medicare coverage types are not well understood, and more research is needed to validate the differences.
A new study shows that getting only half a night's sleep hijacks the brain's activity during learning and memory consolidation, leading to increased vulnerability to conditions like anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. The research found that even partial sleep deprivation can be worse than no sleep at all.
A study published in eLife found that individuals with bipolar disorder who exhibit pessimistic beliefs are more likely to experience relapse. The study suggests that the way patients update their beliefs can be used as a risk prediction tool, allowing for timely intervention and improved outcomes.
The Material Minds Project investigates how cultural artefacts shape our minds and processing information. Using a unique blend of archaeology, vision science, and cognitive philosophy, the project tests the hypothesis that materiality drives cognitive change.
Researchers from UNIGE discovered that when the neuronal fibres connecting the hemispheres are missing, the brain reorganises itself and creates new connections. Intra-hemispheric connections increase, enabling communication between the two hemispheres to be maintained.
A brain protein that regulates time-keeping also plays a crucial role in normal memory formation, according to new research in fruit flies. Memory regulation by this protein, PDF, likely occurs without direct signaling to the main memory structure.
A multidisciplinary team has successfully visualized superficial white matter in living human brains using high-field MRI. The study reveals that this region contains significant amounts of iron, necessary for myelination, which can occur throughout lifespan but is predominant during development.
A new study from Colorado State University found that older adults who spent more time sitting performed better on vocabulary and reasoning tasks, contrary to expectations. The study suggests that sedentary time may be meaningful for cognitive health, especially when accompanied by educational activities.
A study found that people with severe apathy are 80% more likely to develop dementia than those with low apathy. Greater apathy was also associated with worse cognitive scores, highlighting its potential as an early sign of the disease.
Research reveals a correlation between impaired blood flow and tau protein buildup in Alzheimer's disease, suggesting targeting vascular function as a key to prevention and treatment. The study used MRI and PET scans to compare blood flow and tau levels in older adults with varying degrees of cognitive impairment.
A study conducted by researchers at the University of Copenhagen found that facemask use does not affect indicators of cognitive performance when wearers are resting or performing moderate physical work in normal work-wear in hot environments. Wearing a facemask was shown to make it more difficult to breathe during physical work in a h...
A $2.7M NIH grant will fund a research program investigating the relationship between loneliness and brain structure/function in typically aging people and those at risk for Alzheimer's disease. The project aims to advance understanding of how social isolation impacts brain aging and progression to AD.
A study of Latino caregivers found that poorer cognitive performance at a single testing point was associated with impairments in daily activities seven years later. The study suggests maintaining cognitive health in middle-age and older adulthood is crucial for independence.
A study identified mitochondrial biomarkers as significant contributors to memory decline after menopause, shedding light on the importance of energy production in women's cognitive health. Researchers found that efficient mitochondrial function was associated with better cognitive performance, particularly in executive functions.
The anterior cingulate cortex region 'area 32' relays information between cognitive and emotional brain regions, enabling emotional equilibrium. In depression, this balance is disrupted, with an overactive area 25 leading to negative emotions and rumination.
A new study from Northwestern University found that individuals with higher conscientiousness tend to have greater cognitive resilience in older age. In contrast, those with higher neuroticism are more likely to experience worse cognitive function despite similar levels of neuropathology.
UC Riverside psychologist Chandra Reynolds leads a five-year research project to investigate cognitive stability and change across midlife transition in 1,400 participants. The study aims to identify predictors of cognitive maintenance, including genetic factors and lifestyle behaviors.
The US Army Research Laboratory teamed up with Italian Institute of Technology, Harvard Medical School, and University of California, Irvine to study the complexities of the human brain. Researchers used transcranial magnetic stimulation and fMRI to track neural changes after inhibiting a specific part of the brain.
Facial displays of trustworthiness increased in European portraits between the fourteenth and twenty-first centuries, closely following rising living standards. The study used face-processing software on over 6,000 portraits to validate its findings.
A study from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya found that people who played video games regularly as children performed better in working memory tasks even after stopping. However, those without gaming experience showed slower performance and did not benefit from improvements in processing irrelevant stimuli.
Researchers examine whether animals can be deceived by magic effects, offering a window into their cognitive parallels and variances with humans.
Researchers have developed a new method that pairs functional mapping in live mice with distinguishing structural information, providing unprecedented insights into the coupling of visual areas in the mouse brain. This technique enables scientists to distinguish borders and contents of regions more precisely, shedding light on how stru...
A recent study by Rain Bosworth explores how gaze behaviors reveal cognitive effort and knowledge in signers, with novice and fluent signers exhibiting different eye movements. Fluent signers primarily focus on the face and utilize peripheral vision to catch details.
Researchers found that information encoding and inhibition are associated with a tug-of-war between specific brain wave frequency bands in three distinct regions. Higher regions use higher frequency waves, with the visual cortex beta band peaking at 11 Hz and prefrontal beta peaking at 19 Hz.
Researchers propose a new model explaining how consciousness arises, suggesting that the brain processes and integrates information for up to half a second before becoming aware of it. This counterintuitive view challenges the idea of continuous perception and provides insights into how people experience reality.
A two-stage model integrates continuous processing with discrete conscious moments, resolving the 1,500-year-old question of whether consciousness is continuous or discrete. This new framework offers a fresh perspective on information processing and could revolutionize fields like neuroscience, psychology, and computer vision.
Researchers found a negative correlation between Fusobacteria phylum abundance and chronological age in dogs, as well as a link between Actinobacteria and poorer short-term memory performance. The study suggests shared mechanisms underlying canine and human cognitive aging.
Researchers at Tufts University found that warning witnesses about the threat of misinformation can significantly reduce its negative impact on memory. The study revealed that warnings can protect memory from misleading information by influencing reconstructive processes during memory retrieval.
Researchers at George Mason University will develop machine learning-based spectrum sensing techniques and network visualization architecture for intelligent full-duplex cognitive radio networks. The project, funded by the National Science Foundation, aims to improve efficiency and resource management in wireless communication networks.
A team of researchers from New York University and Peking University found that human cognitive limitations lead to distorted probabilities and errors in decision-making. The model predicted human performance better than previous models, suggesting that people do as well as they can under their limitations.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute successfully precisely influenced a single area of the brain by inhibiting its rhythm, decreasing functional connectivity and information exchange with other networks. This precise control enables potential therapeutic applications for diseases caused by disturbed brain functions.
A recent study found that multitasking performance relies on the effective exchange of information between the putamen and cortical regions. After a week of practice, participants showed improved task performance and increased communication rates between these brain areas.
A new study by MIT neuroscientists provides a mathematical model showing how the brain overcomes unpredictable disturbances to produce reliable computations. The model describes an inclination toward robust stability built into neural circuits due to connections between neurons.
A new UCL study using brain imaging found that paying attention increases energy use in the brain, while diverting energy from unattended tasks. The brain has a hard limit on energy supply, which can lead to feelings of overwhelm and neglect of important information.
A meta-analysis of 54 studies found no significant effect of music training on non-music cognitive skills and academic achievement in children. However, certain elements of music instruction may be beneficial for social skills and self-esteem.
A study from Binghamton University found that each additional year of school equates to an earnings increase of 18-20% in South Africa. Cognitive skills also play a significant role in determining wages, with memory and orientation being more important in rural areas.
A new CSU study found that physical stress at work is linked to faster brain aging and poorer memory in older adults. Those who reported high levels of physical stress had smaller hippocampal volumes and performed poorly on memory tasks.
Research at SNMMI 2020 Annual Meeting found super-agers have lower tau and amyloid pathology associated with neurodegeneration. This enables them to maintain their cognitive skills even at advanced ages. The study suggests a potential pathway for successful aging and developing novel treatments to tackle age-related diseases.
A recent review in the Journal of Intelligence identifies two main problems hindering research in comparative psychology: anthropocentrism and a narrow view of cognition. The authors argue that studies should take a biocentric approach, considering each species in its own right, and focus on cognitive abilities unique to each species.
A study by MIT scholars reveals that social media sharing interferes with assessing news accuracy, but participants who think critically or have scientific knowledge share fewer false headlines. Rating non-Covid-19 headlines before sharing Covid-19 news increases accuracy significantly.
Researchers found that brain activity and perception of sensory stimuli change with the cardiac cycle, suppressing heartbeat perception but affecting other stimuli perception. The study may provide insight into anxiety conditions associated with heart rate changes.
A systematic review led by McMaster University found that electronic cognitive behavioral therapy is more effective than face-to-face sessions in treating depression. The study revealed no difference in patient satisfaction or function between the two methods.
Research on brain-damaged patients with distorted perception reveals neural processing can occur despite lack of awareness. The study's findings have significant implications for theories of human visual awareness and suggest a reevaluation of the relationship between complex cognitive processing and awareness.
A systematic review of multiple sclerosis treatments found no effective interventions for cognitive symptoms, despite over half of affected individuals experiencing cognitive dysfunction. Researchers emphasize the need for future studies focusing on cognitive outcomes and standardized criteria to inform optimal treatment choices.
Cognitive dysfunction is a common symptom of multiple sclerosis, affecting two-thirds of patients. Researchers recommend cognitive rehabilitation and exercise training as promising strategies for treating cognitive deficits in MS.
Researchers found that neurons in a specific brain region can switch between reference frames depending on the task, allowing for more efficient information transfer. This flexibility could be used in neural prosthetics and therapies to treat brain disorders.
A team led by Christos Papadimitriou proposes a new computational system, the Assembly Calculus, that encompasses operations on assemblies of neurons involved in cognitive processes. The system is consistent with recent experimental results and has been demonstrated to be plausibly realizable at the level of neurons and synapses.
A new study by McGill University explores the wide-ranging, negative consequences of social isolation on human psychology and physical health. The research reveals that strong interpersonal relationships are critical for survival across the lifespan, while social isolation is a significant predictor of mortality and morbidity.
Researchers used cognitive science methods to test philosophical question: Can people see the world objectively? They found that people can't separate an object's true identity from their own perspective, even when certain it's round. This challenge our understanding of perception and the brain's role in shaping reality.
A study of 524 adults aged 65+ found that openness was linked to a 6% reduced risk of motoric cognitive risk (MCR), while neuroticism increased the risk of non-amnestic MCI. Personality traits played an independent role in pre-dementia syndromes, emphasizing their importance in dementia risk assessment.
The Center for BrainHealth provides online cognitive training modules, video series, and live sessions to help front line workers mitigate stress and boost cognitive performance. The program aims to empower participants with tools and practices to impact their capacity for stress resilience.
Researchers analyzed child brain activity using fMRI to predict working memory abilities during development. The study found that brain network activity in the frontoparietal network was unique to working memory and reflected individual capabilities.
Adding CBT to standard medical care gives patients with dissociative seizures longer periods of seizure freedom and a greater quality of life. This study suggests that CBT combined with specialist care can improve symptoms and satisfaction for those affected by this condition.
Researchers discovered that Synaptotagmin 7 (SYT7) constrains neurotransmitter release at synapses, acting as a volume dial to regulate signal output. The study found that reducing SYT7 increases neurotransmitter release, while increasing it reduces release significantly.
Researchers found that pupil features correlate with cognitive processes involved in mental arithmetic and decision-making. The study used pupil-tracking technology to measure changes in pupil size over time, revealing two distinct influences: a rapid, transient effect and a longer-lasting, sustained influence.
A small but concerning number of former NFL players report receiving clinical diagnoses of CTE, raising concerns of inappropriate diagnosis and overlooking of treatable conditions. Players with sleep apnea, heart disease, and depression are more likely to receive a CTE diagnosis, which could downplay the effects of these conditions.
A new grant will support a collaboration to investigate the link between arterial, brain, and cognitive integrity in healthy older adults. The researchers aim to show that actively engaging areas of the brain can improve arterial function.
Research reveals that long-term experience of gaming improves cognitive development, particularly in allocating brain resources to individual visual stimuli. Expert players outperform beginners in tasks requiring rapid processing and attentional control.