Articles tagged with Cognitive Neuroscience
Vittorio Gallo, Children's Chief Research Officer, has been awarded the prestigious Senator Jacob Javits Award in the Neurosciences. The award extends federal funding for his lab for at least seven years, supporting his research on developmental delays in children who experienced neonatal brain injury.
A pilot study by Kessler Foundation researchers found improvements in processing speed training for individuals with multiple sclerosis, enhancing neuropsychological tests and daily life performance. The study showed significant gains in processing speed, new learning, memory, and activities of daily life.
A team of scientists from Lehigh University has successfully engineered a living neural network that can perform basic learning tasks. The project, supported by the National Science Foundation, aims to develop new ways to think about computer design and may influence brain-related research.
A new study published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience suggests that our brains prioritize character development when listening to or viewing a story. This study used fMRI scans to examine how participants conveyed narrative ideas through different forms of expression, such as speech, gestures, and drawings.
Researchers from the German Primate Center found that visual attention desynchronizes nerve cell activity, enabling more complex information processing. This insight may provide evidence for mechanisms underlying ADHD and autism, and sheds light on how the brain processes stimuli.
A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that individuals with higher criminal tendencies prefer to gamble, even if they know it increases risk. The researchers used fMRI to show increased activation in brain areas involved in cognitive analysis and reasoning for those with higher criminal tendencies.
A new study found that the brains of professional beatboxers and guitarists respond uniquely to their respective sounds, with increased activity in areas associated with movement and language. The research suggests that experience of producing music can shape brain responses and perception.
Researchers found that EMDR suppresses fear-related amygdala activity during recall of traumatic memories. The treatment also enhances extinction learning by deactivating the amygdala, a critical brain region for fear learning.
A new study on red junglefowl has found that the ability to learn quickly is heritable, while optimism can be explained by environmental factors. The researchers tested over 300 chicks with various cognitive tasks and found that genetic factors play a larger role in fast-learning abilities.
New research at McGill University found that people with higher BMI tend to have reduced cognitive flexibility, increased volume in the left amygdala and decreased volume in certain memory structures. The study suggests a model where genetics play a role in obesity through brain anatomy and cognitive functions.
A review by Yale psychologist Yarrow Dunham suggests that ingroup bias is a natural phenomenon driven by membership in a social group, explaining why people favor their own group over others. This bias may have evolved to boost group living and social learning.
Dr. Silvana Costa receives a National MS Society grant to investigate the effect of visual, cognitive, and motor deficits on information processing speed in individuals with multiple sclerosis. The four-year study will utilize neuropsychological evaluations and eye-tracking technology.
A new study from the University of Zurich reveals that people with high leadership abilities have a greater need for certainty when making decisions that affect others. This characteristic drives their willingness or unwillingness to take on responsibility, distinguishing leaders from followers.
A new study finds that taking responsibility for others is a key trait of leaders, separating them from followers. Most people exhibit 'responsibility aversion', making decisions that impact others' welfare despite personal preferences.
Researchers explore the influence of dietary nitrate supplementation on cerebral hemodynamics and cognitive function in veterans with Gulf War Illness. Studies suggest that beetroot juice may improve cerebrovascular system functioning due to its high organic nitrate composition.
Researchers debunk claims that brain training games improve working memory and cognitive skills, finding no transfer between trained and untrained tasks. The study's findings support previous research showing that getting good at one game does not enhance IQ or working memory.
Researchers found that lower-paid microworkers were more likely to reduce their efforts and experience cognitive dissonance, which can impact study results. The study's findings suggest that low pay may lead workers to feel conflicted and struggle with rationalizing their actions.
A study published in JNeurosci found that increased frontal brain activity in healthy older adults is associated with reduced cognitive efficiency, not compensation for age-related decline. The research suggests that the extent to which an older brain operates like a younger one is a key determinant of cognitive function in old age.
Research reveals that prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting compounds can lead to a smaller medial prefrontal cortex and decreased cognitive flexibility in adult rats. The study's findings have implications for understanding the neurobiology underlying developmental disorders such as autism.
A new study tracked how the brain processes visual information from simple sensory inputs to meaningful categories, finding a continuum of activity across multiple cortical regions. The research challenges classic beliefs about separate regions playing distinct roles, suggesting a more integrated network of functional similarities.
Researchers found distinct daily cycles in our thinking patterns, with analytical thinking peaking at 6 am and becoming more emotional and existential in the evenings. The study analyzed 800 million tweets to identify variations in language associated with specific words and psychometric indicators.
A recent in-vivo study published in Nature Communications found that the nucleus accumbens, a part of the brain with weak connections, plays an unexpectedly influential role in enhancing the memory network. This research has implications for understanding diseases like Alzheimer's and brain cancer affecting cognitive functions.
A pilot study found that a simple problem-solving task activated the region responsible for memory function in athletes with concussions, potentially improving symptoms of depression and anxiety. The research challenges current guidelines recommending total inactivity after a brain injury.
Research reveals that adolescent binge drinking can disrupt the brain's ability to form short-term memories, affecting the prefrontal cortex and behavior-management abilities. This link may help scientists develop better treatments for alcohol-related negative effects on the brain.
Researchers have discovered that neurons use the duration of silence between electrical pulses to encode information. This breakthrough, known as Neural Self-Information Theory, suggests that groups of neurons work together to enable real-time thinking and action despite ongoing variability in their responses.
Researchers found that expert poker players maximize information without revealing too much themselves, using public and private information sources to inform their wagering behavior. The study, published in Cognitive Science, offers insights into strategic uncertainty and information processing complexity.
Highly empathic individuals process familiar music with greater involvement of the brain's reward system and areas responsible for processing social information. They also experience increased pleasure and activation of the social circuitry, indicating that music functions as a proxy for human interaction.
Researchers propose a new approach to studying chemobrain, focusing on brain systems and cellular level causes. They aim to develop better diagnostic tools and strategies for patients to mitigate or prevent long-term cognitive difficulties.
A new analysis reveals that task-based fMRI experiments with typical sample sizes of about 30 participants are only modestly replicable. Larger sample sizes may be needed to improve replicability in neuroscience studies.
A study found that individuals with greater volume in the dorsolateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortex tend to exhibit improved dietary self-control. This suggests that brain anatomy plays a crucial role in making healthier food choices.
Researchers have identified a protein 'off-switch' in the brain that regulates memory and learning. The Arc protein needs to be rapidly switched off after new information is received to remember and retain it.
Researchers found cognitive training reduced depressive symptoms and improved brain health in individuals with chronic traumatic brain injury. The study showed significant reductions in depressive symptoms, increased cortical thickness, and improved neural network connectivity.
A comprehensive study published in Psychological Medicine found a strong link between depression and cognitive decline in older adults. The research, which analyzed data from over 71,000 participants, revealed that people with depression experienced a greater decline in cognitive state than those without depression.
A team of researchers at Drexel University has successfully measured the brain activity of pilots in real-time using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, or fNIRS. The study shows that pilots who flew a real aircraft committed more errors and had higher cognitive load than those who operated a flight simulator.
A WSU research study seeks to understand how sleep deprivation affects cognitive flexibility and develops new treatments for improved decision-making. The study uses a combination of human and animal experiments to identify brain processes involved in cognitive flexibility deficits.
A team of researchers proposes a hypothesis on how REM and non-REM sleep might help us solve problems. Non-REM sleep helps organize information into useful categories, while REM sleep enables the discovery of unexpected connections.
Researchers discovered a brain network that gives rise to feelings of gratitude, identifying the medial prefrontal cortex and perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC) as key regions. These areas process relevant social information and integrate it into complex emotions, such as gratitude.
A new study by MIT researchers found that children can learn grammar up to age 17 or 18, while adults struggle to achieve native speaker-level proficiency unless they start learning before age 10. The study analyzed data from nearly 670,000 people and suggests a longer critical period for language learning.
Researchers discovered changes in tiny blood vessels linked to cognitive symptoms in patients with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). The study may lead to tailored therapies by pinpointing specific types of TBIs.
A study found that starting tackle football before age 12 can lead to earlier onset of cognitive, behavior, and mood symptoms in athletes diagnosed with CTE. The average onset was 13 years earlier than expected. Participants were compared to those who started playing later.
MIT researchers have developed a new MRI sensor that can detect direct signals of neural activity by tracking calcium ions, allowing for more precise mapping of brain function. The sensor can detect subtle changes in calcium concentrations outside of cells and respond in a way that can be detected with MRI.
A study of a majority-black cohort found no clear upward trend in cognitive abilities among older adults, contradicting previous observations. Cognitive performance differed significantly by race and function, with black participants scoring lower than their white counterparts.
Researchers analyzed 40,000 speeches from the National Constituent Assembly to track word-use patterns and find that the revolution's principles emerged and evolved over time. Committees played a significant role in proposing and disposing legislation, reducing the effectiveness of charisma in direct debate.
A study found that individuals with higher cognitive flexibility were more likely to support EU membership, immigration, and free movement of labour. In contrast, those with lower cognitive flexibility displayed more conservative and nationalistic attitudes, predicting support for Brexit.
Researchers discovered that patients with Primary Progressive Aphasia use different brain regions to process language, compensating for damaged areas. This finding holds hope for targeted treatments and earlier disease assessments.
A 7-year follow-up study found that intensive meditation training maintains cognitive gains in sustained attention, with potential implications for human cognition and brain function. Regular meditators who practiced an hour a day on average maintained cognitive gains and resisted age-related decline.
A Carnegie Mellon University team has received a three-year grant to refine a custom EEG system that can identify early markers for worsening brain injuries. The team will use the high-density EEG to detect cortical spreading depolarizations, or brain tsunamis, which are biomarkers for worsening brain injuries.
Researchers propose a new concept to uncover connections between brain regions and cognitive functions, using a bottom-up approach. Recent advances in statistical methodology and brain imaging data provide the basis for this new method, which could help reveal the core functions of brain areas.
Research reveals that kindergarteners start caring about their public image and developing complex self-presentation strategies. By elementary school, children think critically about their reputation, mirroring adult behaviors. Interactive experiences shape children's understanding of desirable reputations and effective social strategies.
Patients with OCD suffer from a severe reduction in quality of life due to the maladaptive strategies they use. The study suggests that teaching children skills such as coping with bullying and emotional turmoil through cognitive training may help improve their daily lives and prevent mental health disorders.
A study found that stressed individuals performed equally well as relaxed individuals in a categorization task, but their brains showed increased activity and used additional brain regions. The researchers believe this compensation mechanism allows for good performance despite stress.
A new study explores how our cognitive maps adapt to changing environments and reveals distinct connections between grid cells, place cells, and border cells. Researchers found that grid cells closer to the changing walls shift more than those further away, suggesting a non-homogeneous rescaling of the spatial metric.
A new UCL-led study found that people with one hand can recognize a prosthetic limb as their real hand, particularly those who use a prosthesis regularly. This adaptation allows the brain to compensate for the missing limb, enabling more comfortable and easier-to-use prosthetics.
A study published in JNeurosci found that a woman's immune system during pregnancy influences the development of her child's brain network, which may be linked to psychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. Higher maternal immune activation was also associated with improved cognitive ability in infants.
Researchers will conduct a pilot study to assess the efficacy of combined cognitive rehabilitation therapies, including training in memory strategies and the RehaCom computerized cognitive therapy tool. The goal is to improve patient care for individuals with moderate-to-severe TBI by devising tailored memory strategies.
Researchers argue that individual differences in behavior and cognition are a natural part of human development. A more nuanced understanding of psychological disorders recognizes the complexity of human traits and the need for multivariate approaches to diagnose and treat illness.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute found that Jymmin increases pain threshold by up to 50% and reduces anxiety in chronic pain patients. The combination of physical exertion and music triggers endorphin release, making users more tolerant to pain.
A new mouse model lacking a gene linked to intellectual disability has difficulty navigating mazes and remembering learned paths, but no changes in social or repetitive behavior were observed. Treating the mice with a compound improved learning and memory deficits by targeting the AMPK-mTORC1 translational pathway.
A study of adolescents found that thinner brain cortex regions are associated with more impulsive decision-making. Cortical thickness predicted delay discounting, a measure of impulsivity related to the value of rewards, above cognitive and demographic variables.
Astrocytes may partner with neurons to process information, according to a new MIT study funded by a $1.9 million grant. The research aims to uncover the crucial role of astrocytes in brain function and development, potentially providing insight into disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and autism.