Research on the brain basis of thinking and attention. Covers games and attention, cognitive training platforms, adaptive AI frameworks, and brain-health research.
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.
A study published in Cortex identifies the left fusiform gyrus as necessary for normal understanding of written text and correct word spelling. The findings suggest that this brain area is specialized and required for orthographic processing.
A new study published in Current Biology reveals that children from different cultures articulate spatial relations differently, with German kids using egocentric terms and Akhoe Hai||om kids using allocentric notions. This finding highlights the diversity of human cognition across cultures.
A new University of Pittsburgh study reveals that cigarette craving disrupts an individual's meta-awareness, making it harder to notice when the mind has wandered. Participants who craved cigarettes were more likely to acknowledge mind-wandering episodes, but their ability to recognize these episodes was impaired.
Researchers from Harvard and MIT demonstrate a new method to build better artificial visual systems by combining genetic screening techniques with high-performance gaming hardware. The approach enables the analysis of thousands of candidate models in parallel, resulting in significant improvements over traditional methods.
A new company, Cogniciti, is being formed by Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care and MaRS to develop brain fitness products. The company will produce games, training protocols, and corporate training programs grounded in 20 years of aging brain research.
The Dana Foundation's new book Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain focuses on the intersection of cognitive neuroscience and education. The book explores ways to integrate arts into learning, citing challenges and potential solutions from education experts.
A study by neuroscientist William C. Mobley demonstrated a possible new approach to slowing cognitive decline in Down's syndrome using a pro-drug for norepinephrine, rescuing cognition in mice.
Research found that couples who use thoughtfulness and reasoning during conflicts show lower stress-related protein levels, suggesting a potential health benefit. The study measured cytokine levels before and after marital discussion tasks and found a correlation between cognitive word use and reduced inflammation.
Researchers used fMRI to divide the precuneus into four distinct functional regions, finding similarities with monkey brains. This discovery confirms that higher-order association areas have complex architectures preserved across evolution.
The Center for Social and Cognitive Networks will investigate social interactions, trust levels, and technology's impact on relationships. Rensselaer researchers will collaborate with top academic and corporate partners to build a firm scientific basis in network science.
Frequent video game players show reduced brain activity and behavioral disruption in proactive attention, a mechanism for preparing to act. In contrast, reactive attention is similar across gamers and non-gamers, suggesting other benefits of action games on visual processing.
The department has been awarded four NSF grants over $1 million for their research in Cognitive Radio, Wireless Communications, and Network Security. Researchers aim to advance technology with a focus on increasing contribution to CR advancement.
Researchers found that devout Christians and nonbelievers use the same brain regions to judge the truth of religious and nonreligious propositions. The study also found increased activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) when contrasting belief and disbelief, regardless of content.
A study published in Psychology and Health found that using cognitive tasks to exhaust self-regulatory capacity leads to decreased exercise motivation over time. Researchers suggest strategies like listening to music or making specific plans can help recharge willpower.
Researchers found that scientists combine model-based cognitive problem-solving with creativity to develop a better understanding of the system under investigation. This approach allows scientists to build real-world models and make predictions, leading to novel problem solutions.
A Yale team found a crucial molecular mechanism for mixing neurons in columns of the cerebral cortex. This intermixing is essential for normal cognitive processing and disruption can lead to severe problems like autism and mental retardation.
Research suggests that reading surreal literature like Kafka's 'The Country Doctor' can enhance implicit pattern learning and accuracy. Participants who read the nonsensical story performed better on an artificial-grammar task than those who read a rewritten version with a logical plot.
The NRL's Navy Center for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence has won two top awards at the IJCAI conference for its videos on transfer learning and gesture recognition. The winning videos showcase the lab's cutting-edge research in AI and robotics, with applications to naval missions.
A study published in Neurology found that children with normal IQs before a first seizure may experience language, memory, learning and other cognitive skills problems. Children who took epilepsy drugs had difficulties in processing speed, verbal memory, and learning.
A study published in Cortex found that Parkinson's patients struggle with grammatically complex sentences due to degeneration of dopamine-secreting neurons. Eye-tracking data revealed slower response times when processing relative clauses, but not at the end of sentences.
A study by Johns Hopkins Medicine found that long-term memory losses and cognitive problems after bypass surgery are caused by coronary artery disease, not the heart-lung machine. Researchers discovered significant cognitive decline in patients with no use of heart-lung devices.
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that a natural compound called NIC5-15 may be a safe and effective treatment for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. The preliminary findings suggest that NIC5-15 can prevent the formation of beta-amyloid plaque, a key factor in cognitive decline.
A study published in BMC Biology found that erythropoietin boosts brainpower in healthy young mice, improving sequential learning and memory components. The growth factor showed superior performance in associative, operant, and discriminant learning tasks.
The Vision Revolution reveals how human vision has evolved to perform extraordinary feats, from color perception to X-ray vision and beyond. Changizi's groundbreaking research overturns basic assumptions about human vision, exploring its unique capabilities and their impact on our daily lives.
A study of 2,500 elderly individuals found that those with moderate exercise habits, high education levels, and social engagement were more likely to retain their cognitive skills. These factors, which can be changed through lifestyle modifications, may help prevent or slow the onset of dementia.
Researchers found that single women spend more time evaluating photos of men than those with partners. The study suggests that women's reproductive strategies may influence their interest in potential partners.