Articles tagged with Cognitive Neuroscience
Researchers found that babies seek out situations with just the right amount of surprise or complexity to capture their attention. The findings suggest that babies are active information seekers who can predict what happens next based on previous observations.
A large study suggests dementia incidence in middle-income countries is similar to higher-income countries, with education and literacy providing significant protection against the disease. Individuals with dementia face a nearly three-fold increased risk of dying compared to those without.
A study by Marc Berman found that nature walks improved memory performance after a walk in nature, compared to an urban environment. Participants showed a 16 percent increase in attention and working memory, but no significant improvement in depressive mood.
A new study found that people engage in media multitasking despite knowing it impairs their performance, as it provides an emotional boost. The research recruited 32 college students to record their activities for four weeks, showing that multitasking was more likely when cognitive or habitual needs were present.
Researchers argue that a youthful brain can be maintained through engagement and lifestyle choices, rather than just compensating for age-related decline. Engagement, including social, mental, and physical stimulation, has been shown to promote better cognitive performance in older adults.
A study published in PLoS ONE suggests that the number-line concept is not an innate human intuition but a culturally acquired tool. The research, conducted with indigenous Yupno adults in Papua New Guinea, found that precise number concepts can exist independently of linear spatial representations.
Karl Deisseroth, Edward Boyden, and Feng Zhang received the $10,000 award for developing optogenetics to control neural circuits. This technique has revolutionized neuroscience by allowing selective stimulation of neurons associated with behaviors.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and AT&T found that a vibrating steering wheel reduces driver distraction by 4-9% compared to traditional GPS systems. The study suggests personalizing sensory feedback based on age may improve driver performance and safety.
Scientists have mapped the physical architecture of intelligence in the brain using a large pool of volunteer participants with brain injuries. The study identified specific brain regions and connections essential for general intelligence, planning, and executive function.
Researchers found that memory decline speeds up in the last two-and-a-half years of life compared to previous stages, with mentally active individuals showing better cognitive health. Activities such as reading and playing board games were linked to preserved memory during late life.
Two studies published in Neurology find that memory decline accelerates in the two- and-a-half years before death, while mentally stimulating activities like reading and board games may help preserve cognitive function during late life.
Bilingualism has been shown to improve cognitive reserve and sustain better cognitive performance throughout the lifespan, potentially delaying dementia onset. Lifelong experience managing multiple languages reorganizes specific brain networks, creating a more effective basis for executive control.
A new study published in BioMed Central shows that cognitive training can improve reasoning, memory, language, and hand-eye coordination in healthy older adults. The results suggest that this type of training may help prevent mental decline and promote independent living among elderly individuals.
A new study identifies the QWERTY effect, where words typed with more letters on the right are associated with more positive emotions. The research challenges the traditional view that word meanings are independent of their forms.
A new study by USC researchers reveals that creativity requires both hemispheres of the brain, with the left hemisphere playing a crucial supporting role. The study found that visual creative tasks lit up the left hemisphere more than non-creative tasks, indicating its potential importance in creative thinking.
Helen Genova, a researcher at Kessler Foundation, has received the Women of Excellence Award in Health Sciences for her groundbreaking studies on cognitive fatigue in individuals with multiple sclerosis. Her innovative approach using functional MRI aims to develop more effective strategies for maintaining cognition and quality of life.
A study published in Neuron found that intensive computerized cognitive training exercises can improve complex cognitive functions and social cognition in people with schizophrenia. The training improved the ability to distinguish internal thoughts from reality, coinciding with increased activation in the medial prefrontal cortex.
A computerized cognitive training program has been shown to improve reality-monitoring tasks and social functioning in individuals with schizophrenia. The study found that 16 weeks of intensive training was associated with increased activation of the medial prefrontal cortex, a critical brain region for reality-monitoring processes.
A study found that the ventral striatum in the brain drives motivation during actions requiring physical and mental effort. The researchers discovered a general motivational system, activating both cognitive and motor parts of the brain depending on task difficulty.
Researchers found that playing World of Warcraft improved spatial ability and focus in older adults who scored poorly on cognitive tests before playing the game. However, memory performance showed no significant improvement.
A study published in Radiology found that computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation improved attention and information processing skills in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The rehabilitation program showed modifications in brain activity correlated with cognitive improvement, without structural changes in the brain.
A new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society reveals that brief cognitive screenings combined with further evaluation increased diagnoses of cognitive impairment by two to three fold. Researchers found that veterans aged 70 and older who failed the screen were more likely to have dementia.
Researchers at McGill University discovered how the brain processes visual information to detect motion and collisions. Using mathematical models and recording techniques, they found that specific neurons in the brain's visual cortex respond selectively to motion patterns.
A recent study published by Archives of General Psychiatry found a strong association between smoking and more rapid cognitive decline in men. The study analyzed data from over 5,000 men and women in the Whitehall II cohort study, revealing that continued smoking was linked to greater cognitive decline.
Researchers found that elderly individuals with high insulin sensitivity had larger brains and better verbal fluency skills compared to those with low insulin sensitivity. Higher insulin sensitivity was also associated with more grey matter in regions important for language skills.
A study published in Neurology found that high levels of beta-amyloid in the brain are associated with subtle changes in memory and mental function in healthy adults. The study, which involved 137 participants aged 30-89, also linked higher amounts of beta-amyloid to lower test scores in working memory, reasoning, and processing speed.
Researchers found conservatives react more strongly to unpleasant images and focus on negative stimuli, while liberals respond more to positive stimuli. This study provides insights into the growing notion that political leanings are partially products of biology.
Researchers found a direct association between cognitive engagement and lower levels of β-amyloid protein, which is associated with Alzheimer's disease. Participants who engaged in cognitively stimulating activities had reduced β-amyloid uptake, while those with the lowest activity had higher uptake comparable to patients with AD.
A new study reveals that people with no symptoms of Alzheimer's who engaged in cognitively stimulating activities throughout their lives had fewer deposits of beta-amyloid, a destructive protein that is the hallmark of the disease. Lifelong cognitive engagement may affect a primary pathological process in the disease, suggesting potent...
Research suggests that estrogen can improve mood in women, particularly during the premenstrual phase. Studies have shown a significant increase in activity in brain areas related to emotional processing premenstrually, and estrogen has been linked to reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety in postmenopausal women.
A team of MIT cognitive scientists found that ambiguity in language allows for the reuse of short, efficient sounds that listeners can easily disambiguate with context. This theory contradicts previous arguments that ambiguity is a problem for communication, suggesting it's actually a key to making language more efficient.
A study found that messiness can lead consumers to prefer simpler products and think more clearly, particularly for conservative individuals. This effect is attributed to heuristic information processing, which simplifies product representations.
A new study by Kessler Foundation found that memory retraining using the modified Story Memory Technique (mSMT) increases cerebral activation in patients with multiple sclerosis. This suggests that behavioral interventions can positively affect brain function in MS, validating the clinical utility of cognitive rehabilitation.
A new study found that virtual-reality enhanced interactive exercise, such as exergames, yields greater cognitive benefits than traditional exercise for older adults, with a 23% reduction in progression to mild cognitive impairment. Interactive features like competition and 3D scenery may contribute to these benefits.
A recent study published in Neuron reveals that rare genetic mutations, specifically copy number variants, contribute significantly to the risk of early onset bipolar disorder. These findings suggest that de novo mutations play a crucial role in the development of the disease, which appears in childhood or early adulthood.
Researchers at UCLA's Laboratory of Integrative Neuroimaging Technology use functional MRI brain scans to study mental activity patterns. They employ computerized machine learning methods to identify cognitive states and anticipate neurocognitive changes similar to predictive text-entry for cell phones and Internet search engines.
Jordan Grafman, director of traumatic brain injury research, has received the prestigious Humboldt Research Award for his significant contributions to understanding brain function and behavior. The award recognizes his work on cognitive neuroplasticity and its applications in medicine, rehabilitation, and psychology.
Two University of Pittsburgh professors, Anthony Grace and Christian Schunn, have been recognized as AAAS Fellows for their groundbreaking work in cognition and STEM fields. Their research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of schizophrenia and bridging cognitive science research on reasoning and learning in STEM.
Researchers at Kessler Foundation will investigate the impact of cognitive reserve on thinking, learning, and memory after traumatic brain injury. The study aims to develop strategies that reduce risk for cognitive problems in individuals with TBI.
Researchers found that once a word is learned, it is stored in a purely visual dictionary in the brain, allowing for fast and efficient recognition. This concept may help explain why people with dyslexia struggle with reading due to difficulties forming a finely tuned visual representation of words.
Studies suggest that physical activity, hormone therapy, and social engagement can boost brain health in older adults, reducing memory loss and decision-making problems.
A new study published in Neurology found that a person's stroke risk profile can also predict their risk of developing memory and thinking problems later in life. The researchers followed 23,752 people with an average age of 64 and found that those with higher stroke risk profiles were more likely to develop cognitive problems.
A recent study by the National Institutes of Health has discovered a correlation between high blood pressure and stroke risk factors with cognitive impairment. The research, which followed over 30,000 participants, found that age, left ventricular hypertrophy, and high blood pressure were independent predictors of cognitive decline.
The cerebellum contributes to creating a cognitive map of the environment through altering chemical communication between its neurons. Inactivation of this ability impairs navigation, as seen in transgenic mice lacking long-term depression in cerebellar neurons.
Research by University of Bristol neuroscientists found that cannabis disrupts coordinated brain waves, leading to impaired decision-making and memory. The study suggests that 'disorchestrated brains' may contribute to psychiatric diseases like schizophrenia.
Researchers find that the brain's responses to movies reveal a detailed code that is the same for all individuals. A new method called hyperalignment allows activity patterns in one individual's brain to be decoded by comparing them to patterns in other people's brains.
A new field is taking shape, studying scientific thought and behavior, with applications in education and understanding human interest in science. Researchers examine brain correlations, cognitive processes, and developmental aspects of scientific inquiry.
This emerging technology uses diffusion tractography to visualize white matter in the brain, offering a new window into human brain anatomy. Recent developments may tackle limitations and challenges, revealing the architecture of the human brain and its breakdown in disease.
Researchers found that memory complaints in older adults are associated with poorer cognitive functioning. The study suggests clinicians should differentiate between types of memory complaints to identify those related to normal aging versus potential cognitive decline.
A FSU researcher suggests that video games may not boost cognition as claimed by previous studies. The researcher critiques the methodological flaws in these studies and argues that there is little solid evidence to support the benefits of video game play.
A Montreal-led international team identified the mutated gene POLR3A as responsible for three forms of leukodystrophies, a group of childhood-onset neurodegenerative disorders. The findings provide crucial insights into diagnostic tests and genetic counseling, as well as potential therapeutic strategies to replace defective genes.
The MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Law and Neuroscience, led by Vanderbilt professor Owen Jones, aims to make neuroscience accessible in America's courtrooms. The network explores effects of modern neuroscience on criminal law, including assessing mental states, capacity, and evidence.
A new RAND Corporation study found that older women who live in lower socioeconomic status neighborhoods exhibit lower cognitive functioning compared to those in more affluent areas. The study analyzed data from over 6,000 women and found that neighborhood socioeconomic status was significantly associated with cognitive function.
A new cognitive neuroscientific study challenges traditional models of working memory, introducing a 'multiple-component framework' that considers different capacities operating simultaneously. This framework has practical implications for education and interventions for aging or brain damage.
A team of researchers led by Ayse Pinar Saygin found that the human brain responds with a mismatch in perception when an android's appearance and motion are at odds. This phenomenon, known as the 'uncanny valley,' occurs when an artificial agent becomes too human-like, causing discomfort and unease.
Gray's research focuses on cognitive strategies and decision-making under uncertainty. He will spend six months at the Max Planck Institute Center for Adaptive Behavior and Cognition (ABC) in Berlin to advance his work on heuristics and cognitive control.
A study at McMaster University found that practice can lead to precise and long-lasting changes in the brain's ability to retain information about visual patterns. Researchers observed significant improvements in accuracy rates over time, even when participants were shown new images closely resembling those they had seen previously.
Researchers found that BPA-exposed male deer mice are less desirable to females, perform poorly on spatial navigation tasks, and exhibit random trial-and-error strategies. The study suggests that exposure to BPA during human development could be damaging to behavioral and cognitive traits unique to each sex.
A study by MIT neuroscientists found that humans have two independent capacities for working memory, rather than one general capacity of four objects. This discovery resolves a long-standing debate in the field and has significant implications for designing more effective cognitive therapy, brain games, and visual displays.
A University of Missouri researcher found that TANF requirements create stress on families, negatively affecting three-year-old children's cognitive scores. In contrast, social programs based in the tax system show no such negative effects.