Articles tagged with Cognitive Neuroscience
Researchers investigated problem-solving abilities and innovative capacities of kea and New Caledonian crow. The studies revealed that both species employ various tools to achieve food rewards, with the kea mastering compact object tools and the crow using elongated objects like sticks to probe for grubs.
Researchers found that syntax rules, which govern word order in language, also apply to mathematical equations and may be universally applicable. The study used structural priming, a cognitive process where past structures influence future ones, to demonstrate this connection.
A USC study has identified the brain region responsible for rapid scene comprehension, which enables humans to quickly grasp unfamiliar scenes. The lateral occipital cortex is found to play a key role in this process, with no significant contribution from the intraparietal sulcus.
A new international study found that countries like Japan, Korea, and Singapore have strong social norms and low tolerance for deviation, while nations like Ukraine, Israel, and the US have weak social norms and high tolerance. Understanding these cultural differences can foster greater cross-cultural tolerance and understanding.
Researchers at Penn have found that sleep deprivation affects the hippocampus, a part of the brain associated with memory function. The study identified adenosine as the source of memory loss and attention deficits caused by sleep deprivation.
A groundbreaking JHU study reveals that human brains are wired to recognize unlikely word orders in languages, confirming a long-held theory by Noam Chomsky. The research shows that learners' inherent biases influence what they will learn, and that knowledge of certain grammatical rules is hardwired into the brain from birth.
Research by Dr. Wei Ji Ma and colleagues found that the brain can perform visual search tasks near optimally, even in complex environments. By weighing different pieces of visual information based on reliability, humans can quickly integrate data to detect targets.
Researchers found that the amygdala is active when listening to improvised melodies and sensitive to fluctuations in loudness and timing. A network of areas also shows increased activity when detecting spontaneous behavior.
The invention of optogenetics enables scientists to control and observe brain circuits using genetically encoded molecules targeted by light. This technique reveals how entire neural circuits operate, allowing researchers to determine the roles of specific neurons in various behaviors and brain functions.
Early-onset Alzheimer's disease can be identified through PET-CT examinations, which reveal a 'cognitive reserve' that slows symptom expression. This discovery supports earlier diagnosis and education to improve patient outcomes.
A study found that childhood musical experience can provide lifelong cognitive benefits, with musicians outperforming non-musicians on tests of visuospatial memory and cognitive flexibility. The research suggests that the duration of musical practice is more important than continued playing at an advanced age.
A study found that older individuals who played a musical instrument throughout life performed better on cognitive tests than non-musicians. The study suggests that musical activity may serve as a challenging cognitive exercise, making the brain fitter and more capable of accommodating aging challenges.
A study by University of Rochester researchers found that toddlers use their parents' disfluencies to learn language more efficiently. When a parent says 'um' or 'uh,' the child instinctively looks at unfamiliar objects on a screen, indicating they're paying attention to potential new words.
A study by the American Academy of Neurology found that speaking multiple languages can protect against memory decline in seniors. Researchers discovered that individuals who spoke four or more languages were significantly less likely to experience cognitive problems compared to those with limited language proficiency.
Research suggests that bilingual speakers outperform monolinguals in certain mental abilities, such as editing out irrelevant information and prioritizing tasks. This 'mental juggling' skill allows bilinguals to better navigate between languages and enhances their cognitive flexibility.
Researchers investigate how temporal patterns in languages influence phonological, semantic, and syntactic information processing. Bilinguals' brains store fundamental regularities of speech, enhancing language efficiency.
Swiss researchers employ virtual reality and brain imaging techniques to investigate the science behind self-consciousness. By immersing subjects in avatar environments, they explore how the brain integrates touch and vision to create a coherent perception of the body.
A large-scale study has found that ecstasy users show no signs of cognitive impairment attributable to drug use. The research, funded by $1.8 million from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, aimed to minimize methodological limitations of earlier studies and compared 52 ecstasy users with 59 non-users.
Researchers found that viewing a person's hand reduces pain levels due to its size. Participants who saw an enlarged hand tolerated greater heat before reporting pain, while those seeing a smaller hand reported lower temperatures.
A new colonoscopy skills assessment tool, MCSAT, was developed to evaluate cognitive and motor skills in trainees. The tool provides a standardized method to assess individual progress and establish normal learning curves.
A one-year study on seniors' strength training reveals sustained cognitive benefits and cost savings. The once-weekly strength training group showed better maintenance of physical activity and fewer falls than the twice-weekly balance and tone group.
Researchers found that acetylcholine facilitates NMDA receptors by inhibiting SK channels, allowing for enhanced learning and memory. The discovery provides new insight into the mechanisms underlying learning and memory, with potential therapeutic applications for Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders.
Research reveals that architecture can influence people's ability to navigate buildings, with some designs favoring spatial skills over others. A study suggests strategies for improving wayfinding in complex environments.
Studies show that mild sensory stimulation can protect against brain damage and restore function after stroke, while aerobic exercise may help treat or prevent drug addiction. Additionally, physical fitness prior to injury can alleviate traumatic brain injury effects in mice.
A brain scan can predict which children with anxiety disorder will respond to talk therapy, potentially avoiding psychiatric medication. The study found that children who show fear when looking at happy faces on a screen have the least success with cognitive behavioral therapy.
Dr. Mortimer Mishkin, chief of NIMH's Section on Cognitive Neuroscience, is the first NIMH intramural scientist to receive the National Medal of Science for his pioneering work on brain processing and memory. His research has greatly advanced our understanding of how learning and memory are processed in the primate brain.
Scientists at McGill University's Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital have discovered that the brain can determine the shape of an object by processing specially-coded sounds, even without visual or tactile input. This new research provides important possibilities for aiding those who are blind or with impaired vision.
A new study found that obese individuals exhibit lower functional brain response in one region and impaired insulin sensitivity compared to normal-weight peers. This suggests a potential link between midlife obesity and cognitive decline later on.
The new journal will publish theoretical and research papers on cognitive brain development, covering neurocognitive development, social and affective aspects, and various methodologies. Authors are encouraged to submit contributions using diverse neuroscience approaches.
A new study found that the Alzheimer's drug donepezil enhances perceptual learning in healthy adults, particularly in tasks involving motion direction discrimination. The researchers tested 12 healthy adults and showed a significant improvement in performance after training under the influence of donepezil compared to a placebo.
Parkinson's disease affects brain circuitry that impacts cognitive functions like planning and decision-making. Researchers discovered patients can perform automated tasks better than non-patients, yet struggle to adapt to changing behaviors.
Researchers discovered that mentally stimulating activities like crossword puzzles and reading may slow initial cognitive decline but accelerate dementia progression in older age. People with more active lifestyles tend to experience faster declines once diagnosed with dementia.
A study found that moderate exercise, such as walking, enhances brain circuit connectivity, combating age-related declines in brain function. This improved connectivity is associated with better performance on cognitive tasks like planning, prioritizing, and multitasking.
A study published in JAMA found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) improved ADHD symptoms in adults who received medication, with greater improvement and higher responder rates compared to relaxation support. The treatment was well-tolerated and showed positive and sustained effects on ADHD symptoms.
A protein called APC plays a key role in synapse maturation, and dysfunction prevents the synapse function required for typical learning and memory. Mutations in genes related to neuroligin and neurexin are associated with autism, but little was known about their mechanisms at the synapse.
NYU researchers found that periodontal inflammation increases cognitive dysfunction risk in healthy individuals and those with Alzheimer's. The study linked gum inflammation to brain inflammation, neurodegeneration, and Alzheimer's disease.
A new study found that depressed patients who receive more competent therapy show significant symptom improvement. Therapist competence was particularly important for patients with anxiety and early onset depression. While competence predicted better outcomes in the short-term, its impact waned over time.
Robert H. Wurtz's groundbreaking research on visual information processing and eye movements has led to a deeper understanding of how the brain controls behavior. His discoveries have inspired hundreds of scientists to study cognitive processes, including attention and perception.
Researchers found that 9-month-old babies can recognize 'more than' or 'less than' relations across numbers, sizes, and durations of objects. This suggests that humans may be born with a generalized system of magnitude that helps them make predictions about the world from an early age.
Researchers found that brain's representation of hands is out of sync with reality, with fingers perceived as shorter and hands fatter. The findings may be relevant to psychiatric conditions involving body image.
A new study published in Neurology found that mentally active lifestyles may reduce the negative effects of brain damage on learning and memory in people with multiple sclerosis. Participants with enriching lifestyles showed better scores on tests of learning and memory despite higher amounts of brain damage.
Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine identified a protein that regulates the accumulation of an enzyme linked to Alzheimer's disease. Increasing levels of this protein may prevent the progression of the neurodegenerative disorder.
The Alzheimer's Solution proposes community centers for dementia care, addressing the need for novel solutions to address this disease. The centers would provide programs of care, treatment, and prevention, taking a family-oriented and personalized approach.
Food cravings are intense, specific desires to eat certain foods, which can pose serious health risks. Research suggests that mental imagery is a key component of food cravings, taking up brain power and making it hard to focus on other tasks.
Researchers found that the brain's dorsolateral prefrontal cortex plays a key role in rational inference, but not emotions, in 'mindreading'. The study suggests that certain executive functions like cognitive flexibility may be important for processing what someone else is thinking.
A new study suggests that just four days of mindfulness meditation can significantly improve cognitive skills, including critical thinking and sustained attention. Participants who received the meditation training performed up to ten times better on a computer adaptive n-back task than those who listened to a book.
A new study combines two analytical techniques to provide a more accurate picture of the autistic brain, revealing regional differences in grey matter and potential markers for early therapy. The research provides critical insight into autism, shedding light on structural brain differences that may be related to enhanced perception abi...
Research by Daniel Casasanto shows that children link distance and duration in time, but struggle to separate the two. Children use physical distance to estimate the passage of time.
Researchers disrupted activity in the right temporo-parietal junction using transcranial magnetic stimulation to impair subjects' ability to make moral judgments requiring understanding of others' intentions. This finding highlights the critical role of the TPJ in making moral judgments.
A new study suggests that emotions are crucial for making moral judgments. Patients with damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPC) have difficulty responding emotionally to hypothetical situations and may judge others' actions as morally permissible even if they intended harm.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh identified three genes that contribute significantly to blood clotting speed in healthy individuals. These findings may help further understanding and treatment of conditions like deep vein thrombosis, heart attacks, and bleeding disorders.
A new EEG study found that Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique activates the default mode network, a natural 'ground state' of the brain. TM produces a unique state of restful alertness and enhances an individual's sense of self by activating this network.
A standard ICD test is associated with significant thought-processing problems that improve for most patients after one year. The study found that more than one-third of participants experienced cognitive decline, mainly affecting attention and memory.
Researchers at Great Ape Trust argue that bonobo Kanzi and others point with specific intent, unlike captive apes. The study builds on previous research on the effect of rearing culture on cognitive capabilities, potentially shedding light on human disorders such as Down's Syndrome or Autistic Spectrum Disorders.
Researchers report on effective treatments targeting racial and ethnic minorities, psychiatric disorders, and families with asthma. Cognitive-behavioral therapy significantly increased quit rates among African-American smokers, while family-focused approaches showed promising results for Latino families.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found a link between genes and navigation abilities in humans. People with Williams syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, struggle with reorientation tasks, indicating impaired mental visualization of room layouts.
Researchers at UCLA have made a breakthrough in identifying the earliest signs of Alzheimer's disease using brain imaging techniques. By tracking subtle changes in brain structure over time, they were able to predict a brain's progression to Alzheimer's disease, allowing for potential early interventions.
A study of 2,131 elderly women found that 18% with severe cognitive impairment received unnecessary screening mammography. The study highlights the potential harms of screening in women with limited life expectancies.
A large national study from Brandeis University found that intellectual activities undertaken regularly can make a difference in maintaining memory. Those with low education who engaged in reading, writing, attending lectures, doing word games or puzzles regularly had memory scores similar to people with more education
A recent study published in JAMA found that Ginkgo biloba supplementation did not slow the rate of cognitive decline in older adults with normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment. The researchers analyzed data from over 3,000 participants and found no evidence of an effect on global cognitive change or specific cognitive domains.