Research on the brain basis of thinking and attention. Covers games and attention, cognitive training platforms, adaptive AI frameworks, and brain-health research.
A randomized trial found no significant difference in cognitive, language, and executive functioning abilities between children receiving prenatal DHA supplementation and those receiving a placebo. The study suggests that DHA supplementation during pregnancy may not enhance early childhood development.
A study confirms that brain reserve and cognitive reserve provide protective effects against cognitive decline in MS patients. The beneficial effects of these reserves persist for several years.
Strategic thinking training has been proven beneficial in normal and clinical populations, leading to improved cognitive performance and brain function. The study highlights the potential of this type of training to enhance intellect and prevent cognitive decline.
A new study reveals that people who attempt suicide have distorted thoughts about their self-worth, comparisons with others, and the future. Researchers found that targeting these thoughts can help reduce hopelessness and suicidal ideation in clinical interventions.
Scientists at Beckman Institute use a new method to test brain waves and discover that alpha oscillations can inhibit visual processing, making it hard to see unexpected events. By targeting specific brain regions with electrical stimulation or feedback, they aim to improve attention and awareness in various situations.
Research suggests that cognitive reserve, the brain's ability to adapt and compensate for injury, plays a role in recovery from traumatic brain injury. Those with higher educational attainment are more likely to achieve full recovery, with nearly 40% of patients with 16 or more years of education fully recovering.
Researchers propose a new, integrated framework of cognitive styles that eliminates confusing labeling and enables integration of findings on individual differences in cognition across different disciplines. The taxonomy offers a clear categorization of styles from various fields, highlighting the importance of adaptive patterns or sty...
Researchers analyzed performance records of 3,305 StarCraft 2 players to find that cognitive motor skills decline after 24 years of age. However, older players compensate by using simpler strategies and more efficient game interfaces.
Researchers will assess daily tasks like buying tickets and making food using the internet's Actual Reality platform. The goal is to broaden assessment scope for people with MS, making it more accessible and relevant.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that brain activity in place cells helps construct cognitive maps, a pattern of activity reflecting an animal's internal representation of its environment. This activation can mark the birth of a memory, as seen in rats who pause to inspect their surroundings and create new place fields.
A new study reveals that the brain achieves focused attention on faces or other objects by synchronizing activity in the inferior frontal junction (IFJ) with specific brain regions. The IFJ coordinates with the fusiform face area (FFA) and parahippocampal place area (PPA), suggesting a parallel process involving different areas.
Kessler Foundation will conduct a randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of speed of processing training on cognitive performance in multiple sclerosis. The study aims to improve everyday functioning and address the impact of processing speed deficits on daily activities.
Researchers found that individuals with high rates of future discounting showed significant reductions in substance use after treatment, suggesting that prioritizing instant gratification may be a hallmark of recovery. A simple cognitive test measuring present-moment bias could help personalize addiction treatments.
The Kessler Foundation will lead a new MS Collaborative Network of New Jersey, focusing on cognitive-motor interactions in MS. The network aims to design and conduct novel studies and expand professional training to improve treatment options for people with MS.
Researchers at Ohio State University have developed a computational model that maps 21 distinct emotional expressions, including compound emotions like 'happily surprised' or 'sadly angry'. This breakthrough enables precise tracking of emotion in the brain and has potential applications in treating disorders such as PTSD or autism.
Researchers suggest aspartic acid could serve as a biomarker for postoperative cognitive dysfunction, based on correlation analysis between changes in hippocampal metabolites and cognitive impairment in aged rats. The study aims to identify potential biomarkers for predicting postoperative cognitive dysfunction.
Researchers found that individuals with high 'justice sensitivity' are driven by cognitive reasoning rather than emotion when evaluating morally good or bad behavior. This suggests that the search for justice is fueled by analysis and mental calculation rather than sentimental motivations.
The Hub's interdisciplinary group will investigate the health implications of states of rest and noise, tumult and stillness, with a focus on transforming how we understand rest in modern life. The £1 million project aims to create new possibilities for people from all backgrounds to find rest in busy cities.
Researchers induce a bodily illusion where participants' hands feel stiffer and heavier, showing the brain can quickly update its perception of body material. This study reveals multisensory integration can alter perceived body properties, which may help explain how tools and prostheses integrate into our body schemas.
Researchers found elevated body temperature linked to worse fatigue in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, supporting previous studies on cooling garments and antipyretics. The study suggests a complex relationship among fatigue, body temperature, and inflammatory processes.
Researchers isolated implicit from explicit learning processes, revealing separate cognitive systems. The findings have implications for child development, cognitive aging, and educational training.
Researchers found that higher educational attainment attenuates the negative impact of TBI on cognitive status. The study suggests that intellectually enriching activities may protect against further cognitive decline.
Researchers found that self-generation may be influenced by variables such as task meaningfulness during learning and memory in MS. Significantly more words were recalled from the generated condition, indicating a more effective learning strategy.
Researchers found that discarding data from subjects with multiple sclerosis who exhibit significant head movement during fMRI may bias sampling away from those with lower cognitive ability. This could lead to skewed results if not addressed by correcting for motion or recruiting a diverse range of participants.
Dr. Brenda Milner, a cognitive neuroscience pioneer, has received the Dan David Prize for combating memory loss. Her groundbreaking research has had a profound impact on clinical domains, including traumatic injury and degenerative diseases.
A University of South Florida study found that a nutritional supplement containing blueberries and green tea improved cognitive processing speed in older adults without impairing memory. The supplement, NT-020, was tested on 105 healthy adults aged 65 to 85, with modest improvements seen after two months.
Researchers at Kessler Foundation found an association between acute, severe spatial neglect post-stroke and long-term recovery of mobility. The study suggests early detection and intervention of spatial neglect may be necessary to achieve better return of mobility.
A Boston University study found that children from two cultures exhibited surprisingly similar ideas about the time before conception, suggesting a hard-wired bias toward immortality. The research indicates that children's emotions and desires are central to their concept of an eternal essence.
A new study found that causal brain networks involved in fear regulation, imagery, and affect are also used for cognitive processing of religious beliefs. These basic networks evolved to mediate complex beliefs like those contained in religious practice.
New research suggests that older brains may take longer to process increasing amounts of knowledge, leading to slower performance on cognitive tests. This finding challenges traditional assumptions about cognitive decline in older adults, and instead highlights the role of experience in shaping brain function.
Researchers found that people have a preferred distance for judging depth most accurately, which depends on their mind's perception of arm length. The study shows that manipulating perceived arm length can influence depth perception and tactile sensitivity.
Researchers at MIT found that the human brain can identify concepts in images presented for 13 milliseconds, challenging previous assumptions about visual processing speed. The study suggests that
Research challenges dominant view that self-control is a limited resource. Inzlicht and colleagues propose prioritizing enjoyable tasks over obligatory ones, taking breaks, and planning for motivational fluctuations.
Older adults who received brief cognitive training showed improvements in reasoning ability, speed-of-processing, and everyday tasks. Even booster sessions had lasting benefits up to 10 years later.
A pilot study will test the effectiveness of self-generated learning in individuals with multiple sclerosis who have memory and learning difficulties. Researchers aim to improve memory performance, functional performance, quality of life, and satisfaction with treatment.
A new study found that patients with Aiming deficits improved on the Catherine Bergego Scale, while those with only Where deficits did not. Prism adaptation therapy showed intermediate improvement in patients with both types of deficits.
A new study found that schools with high test scores do not necessarily improve fluid intelligence skills in students. Despite raising knowledge and boosting test scores, educational practices have little impact on fluid cognitive skills such as working memory capacity and problem-solving.
A study investigates how athletes' high-level motor expertise affects the brain's understanding of actions. The research reveals that expert subjects showed a modulating effect on motor activity in response to positive but impossible commands.
Researchers identified five promising treatments, including constraint-induced movement therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation, to improve rehabilitation outcomes in stroke patients. These non-invasive methods have potential applications beyond stroke rehabilitation.
A potential science bubble has formed in cognitive neuroscience due to massive investments and promises of game-changing explanations. The value of these investments may not be supported by actual scientific results, highlighting the need for re-evaluating research funding structures.
A study by Aron Barbey and colleagues identified a network of brain areas in the frontal and parietal cortex essential for discourse comprehension. The researchers used voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping to create a collective map of the cerebral cortex, revealing that executive control is critical for integrating language with prior k...
A randomized controlled trial found that a modified Story Memory Technique (mSMT) improved learning and memory in people with MS, leading to better daily functioning and increased satisfaction. The effects persisted for six months, providing first Class 1 evidence for cognitive rehabilitation in MS.
The Human Cognition Project is a large-scale research platform that supports both experimental and observational research. Key findings include improved executive function in breast cancer patients and enhanced math skills in individuals with Turner's syndrome after training with Lumosity.
Extensive musical training affects brain structure and function, particularly when started before age 7. Research suggests that musical improvisation can rewire the brain, fostering plasticity and enhancing creativity, cognition, and learning.
A study of 1,300 students found that those who trained with Lumosity showed significant improvements in a battery of cognitive assessments. The effects were dose-dependent, with longer training sessions leading to greater gains.
Lumosity presents new data on measuring cognitive training improvements, finding larger doses lead to greater gains and training gains strongly predict transfer effects. A reliability assessment of the BPT shows it is a powerful tool for evaluating the effectiveness of cognitive training.
A new study by Kessler Foundation scientists investigates the neural correlates of cognitive fatigue in multiple sclerosis using functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging. The findings suggest a 'fatigue-network' in persons with MS, which could help define the pathophysiology of this symptom.
A cognitive science study reveals that at least 50 percent of people can perceive the movement of their own hand even without light, suggesting brain combination of sensory information. Synesthetes, individuals who experience blending of senses, also showed improved visual perception.
A study of 24 pregnant women found that fetuses who heard Twinkle Twinkle Little Star reacted strongly to the melody both immediately and four months after birth. This suggests that fetuses can recognize and remember sounds from the outside world, with potential implications for early rehabilitation.
Researchers found greater BOLD activation in brain areas typically activated by MS patients during task performance when exposed to warmer temperatures. This suggests neural inefficiency and may impact independence, education, employment, and daily activities.
Research at Northwestern University finds that adolescents from lower maternal educational backgrounds have noisier neural activity, erratic responses to speech sounds, and poorer reading performance. The study suggests that poverty can shape the brain's representation of auditory information.
A study published in Psychological Science found that cognitive reappraisal can actually have negative effects on psychological health when dealing with controllable stressors. This challenges the long-held notion that reappraisal is always beneficial for emotional well-being.
Researchers at the University of Montreal discovered that even completely blind people can detect light through a novel photoreceptor in the retina, allowing their brains to 'see' and respond to environmental changes. This study found that light enhances brain activity during cognitive tasks, improving alertness and mood.
An analysis of 32 studies found that anemic children who received iron supplements showed substantial improvement in IQ scores and other cognitive tests. Daily iron supplementation also decreased the prevalence of anemia by about 50% and improved growth, with no adverse effects reported.
Kessler Foundation collaborates with VA New Jersey Health Care System on a $761,222 grant to examine cognitive fatigue in Gulf War veterans using fMRI. The study aims to establish the set of brain regions critical to fatigue and develop treatments. Cognitive fatigue affects 25% of veterans, impacting daily life.
Research reveals that people experience a lower sense of agency for actions associated with negative outcomes, making blame harder to accept. The discovery sheds light on notions about personal responsibility and emotional experiences., People tend to take credit for good outcomes but struggle with accepting responsibility for bad ones.
A study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that environmental enrichment can help counteract brain atrophy in people with chronic moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). The study, led by Dr. Robin Green, suggests that increased physical, social, and cognitive stimulation can slow down brain shrinkage.
Scientists validate a proposed system for detecting preclinical Alzheimer's disease in cognitively normal elderly individuals, finding that it is common and associated with future mental decline and mortality. The new findings offer reason for encouragement, showing that the system can predict which individuals will develop symptoms of...
A review of 8 trials found no long-term benefits from cognitive enhancers like donepezil and rivastigmine for patients with mild cognitive impairment. These medications were associated with increased nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and headaches, but no cognitive improvement.
A form of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) called exposure and ritual prevention has been shown to augment antidepressant treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), with 80% of patients responding compared to 23% on antipsychotics. The therapy works by retraining the brain's habit-forming circuitry to unlearn compulsive rituals.