Research on the brain basis of thinking and attention. Covers games and attention, cognitive training platforms, adaptive AI frameworks, and brain-health research.
Moleculera Biosciences, a precision medicine company, is attracting investors with its technology developed by the University of Oklahoma. The company's diagnostic tests have helped properly diagnose over 16,000 patients and have shown remarkable recoveries in those affected by autoimmune disorders.
Research reveals that mouse whiskers can 'hear' the world by generating sounds that are encoded in the auditory cortex. The study shows that mice use these sounds to recognize objects, even when touch sensation is abolished.
Researchers at UC San Francisco have identified potential protein markers for frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a form of dementia affecting middle age. The study found changes in RNA regulation and brain connections that could lead to early diagnosis and targeted treatments.
Research at Duke University found that insight triggers a burst of activity in the hippocampus, leading to better memory retention. Participants who experienced 'aha!' moments recalled solutions far better than those without, with conviction levels doubling long-term memory.
Brazilian researchers found that hevin, a glycoprotein produced by astrocytes, increases connections between neurons and improves cognitive function in aged rodents. The study provides insight into the role of astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease and offers potential new treatment strategies.
Researchers developed MuSICCA, a music therapy tool that uses musical stimulation to assess levels of consciousness in children with brain injuries. The study found high agreement among participants that the tool is suitable for use with children, providing guidance for caregivers and supporting clinical teams.
A study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia found that learning one's Alzheimer's risk can decrease negative emotions like depression and anxiety, but also leads to decreased motivation for maintaining healthy lifestyle changes. Researchers emphasize the importance of personalized disclosure processes to sustain healthy behaviors.
A study at Emory University revealed that five-year-olds have the brain system that supports map-based navigation, challenging the assumption that this cognitive ability develops until age 12. Children can recognize landmarks and navigate through a virtual town with remarkable accuracy.
Mind blanking is a common experience characterized by lapses in attention, memory issues, and cessation of inner speech. Studies have shown that it's associated with specific neural signatures and changes in arousal levels, leading to malfunctions in key cognitive mechanisms like memory and language.
The Simons Collaboration on Ecological Neuroscience (SCENE) is a 10-year program that will support projects aiming to uncover how the world shapes representations in the mind and brain. By integrating sensory and motor information, researchers hope to discover fundamental principles of cognition applicable across species.
Researchers used a virtual reality game to investigate how brief anxiety impacts spatial learning and threat recognition. Participants who learned to distinguish between safe and dangerous areas showed better spatial memory and lower anxiety.
A large-scale study published in JNeurosci reveals distinct brain activity patterns during lucid dreaming compared to rapid eye movement sleep and wakefulness. The findings suggest shifts in brain region activation and communication that may be linked to changes in perception, memory processing, self-awareness, and cognitive control.
Researchers found that different dendritic segments of a single neuron follow distinct learning strategies, with apical dendrites strengthened by local interactions and basal dendrites linked to the neuron's overall output.
Researchers studied active and passive touch tasks using virtual reality and EEG to better understand how people with autism process touch. The study found that individuals with autism showed little variation in brain response to active and passive touch, suggesting difficulty predicting consequences of actions.
A new study by Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg found that brain stimulation can influence decisions, making choices faster with anodal stimulation and slower with cathodal stimulation. The research used transcranial direct current stimulation to activate or inhibit specific brain regions.
Research finds that letting the mind wander during low-focus tasks can improve performance and learning, exhibiting sleep-like brain activity linked to enhanced task learning. Spontaneous mind wandering is more beneficial than deliberate mind wandering in these situations.
Lana Ruvolo Grasser, a Wayne State University assistant professor, has been selected as an Early Career Policy Ambassador (ECPA) by the Society for Neuroscience. She will engage in advocacy initiatives and learn effective strategies to advocate for scientific research and its funding.
Researchers found that specific high-order thalamic regions send signals to the prefrontal cortex, facilitating conscious perception and driving PFC activity. The study sheds light on the neural foundations of human consciousness, challenging previous theories on its role in subcortical-cortical loops.
Researchers used rhesus monkeys to study neural activity during decision-making processes, revealing that amygdala neurons process probability and magnitude of rewards independently. The study also showed that these cells dynamically integrate information about probability, magnitude, and risk to form the basis for decision-making.
Cognitive neuroscientists are using VR to develop innovative ways to assess cognitive decline, particularly in identifying age-related differences in spatial memory navigation. The study found significant impacts on memory performance due to the build-up of Alzheimer's proteins in the brain.
Researchers are using smartphones to capture naturalistic data on memory, sleep, and dreams, finding that a single night of sleep influences memory for the events that occurred the day before. Memories following sleep were more vivid, felt temporally closer, and were easier to recall.
Researchers identified a brain signal involved in impaired attentional control from sleep deprivation that could predict worsened athletic performance. Athletes with stronger attention control may be more easily able to overcome the negative effects of lack of sleep and stress on their competitive performances.
A novel fMRI study reveals that infants can encode individual memories, suggesting that infantile amnesia is caused by memory retrieval failures rather than inability to form memories. The findings support recent rodent studies showing that memories created during infancy can persist into adulthood.
Researchers from Virginia Tech have published a visionary paper on fusing wireless technologies and AI to create human-like common sense. The team aims to develop a network that can think, plan, and imagine like humans, enabling seamless merging of physical, virtual, and digital dimensions.
The Open Brain Institute launches a groundbreaking platform to simulate and study digital brains, empowering researchers to explore brain complexity and diseases. With its virtual neuroscience laboratories, the OBI enables global collaboration and access to cutting-edge virtual labs.
A study published in Biological Psychiatry found that anxiety and apathy lead to different patterns in how people process uncertainty and make decisions. Participants made choices between exploring new options or sticking with familiar ones, revealing distinct computational mechanisms underlying these behaviors.
A recent VR study on locusts' navigation challenges classical models of collective swarming behavior, revealing internal cognitive decision-making processes. The findings suggest that locusts do not follow fixed interaction rules as previously thought, but instead respond to their sensory environment with probabilistic decision-making.
The Center for BrainHealth has established three major new partnerships to enhance its mission to empower people at all ages with science-backed approaches for proactive brain health and fitness. The partnerships include GoMo Health, which will leverage the center's content to expand resources and improve compliance among large patient...
The study uses PCArs to analyze brain neuronal activity in various situations, revealing that different brain regions exhibit distinct geometric figures during object recognition and memory tasks. The findings suggest that the brain processes visual information in real-time and changes its activity pattern from moment to moment.
A new study published in Annals of Neurology found that lower concentrations of vitamin B12 in healthy, older adults led to signs of neurological and cognitive deficiency. These individuals showed slower processing speeds, brain lesions, and delayed responses to visual stimuli compared to those with higher B12 levels.
A new MIT study finds that humans and marmosets retain a tendency to test other approaches to tasks, even when they have learned the optimal strategy. This behavior could help reveal needed adjustments in uncertain environments. The findings also add weight to the use of marmoset models for autism studies.
Researchers tracked thousands of neurons as a mouse learned to navigate two virtual corridors, revealing distinct representations of each corridor. The study sheds light on cognitive map formation and may provide insight into memory disorders like Alzheimer's.
McGill researchers found that music at an individual's natural tempo significantly reduces pain perceptions. The study discovered the greatest reductions in pain levels occurred when melodies were played at a rate matching the participant's own preferred tempo.
A study by cognitive neuroscientists found that the relationship between space and time processing varies across different brain regions. In posterior areas, space and time are processed together, while in anterior areas, they are processed independently. The study highlights a functional hierarchy with distinct neural populations resp...
Researchers used EEG to map brain activity in response to hot and cold temperatures, finding that both invoke similar activity patterns in overlapping brain regions. The study could lead to more objective methods for evaluating thermal comfort and reducing health risks due to ambiguous subjective evaluations.
A study by Professor Jan Peters at the University of Cologne explores how virtual slot machines' design features trigger dopaminergic effects in the brain's reward system, leading to erroneous beliefs and expectations about control over outcomes and chances of winning. This can lead to continued gambling despite high losses.
Maital Neta, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor, has received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Her lab explores how people cope with uncertainty, and her work has been featured in partnerships with Nebraska Athletics and the National Institutes of Health.
Researchers investigated how individuals with anorexia and eating disorders perceive body weight, finding they underestimate the weight of smaller hands and overestimate the weight of larger hands. This study suggests two different mechanisms for weight perception in body parts versus objects.
The Cognitive Neuroscience Society conference will feature keynote addresses, award lectures, and symposia on various topics in cognitive neuroscience. Researchers will present the latest findings on sleep, emotional experiences, brain connectivity, and more.
Research by Anqi Wei and colleagues found that neural circuits in mice are sex-specific, influencing socio-sexual preferences. Under survival stress, female mice switch to preferring males due to altered neuronal firing patterns.
The Neuron special issue sheds light on the science of aging, focusing on how age-related changes impact the brain's ability to clear waste and transport energy. The collection also explores the link between the immune system and brain health.
Researchers found that a blunted response to reward feedback in teens predicts the first onset of depression, but not anxiety or suicidal ideation. This study contributes to understanding neural risk factors for mental health disorders and developing new methods to assess mental health risks.
A social work graduate has published her research on cognitive decline among refugees, finding that those who have experienced trauma are more likely to suffer from mild cognitive impairment. The study highlights the need for interventions that address these gaps in care and promote healthier aging.
Researchers use real-time neuroimaging and neurofeedback to modify brain activity patterns, enabling faster learning and treatment of psychiatric disorders. The study demonstrates the ability to inscribe new patterns into the brain without physical manipulation.
Researchers have identified structural grey matter differences in the brains of women with a history of peripartum depression compared to those without. The study found that hormone fluctuations during pregnancy and childbirth may be key to understanding this condition.
A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that sleeping improves ability to remember new words and complex grammatical rules. Researchers tracked brain activity of participants learning a miniature language called Mini Pinyin while sleeping or awake, revealing significant improvements in those who slept.
Researchers conducted a caving expedition to gather data on the effects of environmental stressors on human cognition, collecting useful insights despite logistical challenges. The study proposed a framework for future field-based cognitive science research, offering lessons beyond traditional lab settings.
Dr. Seymour Reichlin's centennial celebration highlights his ongoing scientific impact, with recent collaborations yielding new insights into hormone therapies for cognitive enhancement and emotional homeostasis. His work has established neuroendocrinology as a distinct field, bridging neuroscience, endocrinology, and clinical medicine.
Researchers found that individuals with depression who engage in reflexive emotion regulation experience increased suicidal thoughts during daily stressful events. In contrast, adaptive responses to stress were observed when participants used reappraisal strategy.
A new USC study reveals that face masks make it harder for people of all ages to recognize emotions, especially sadness, behind masks. Parents reporting high stress levels struggle even more to decode sad emotions.
Researchers created digital reconstructions of Aztec death whistles and found they produce unique air turbulence, creating a chilling sound. Listeners perceived the whistle's sound as natural and organic, similar to human voices or screams, suggesting a symbolic association with mythological entities.
Researchers used computer simulations to explore the concept of learning in cells, finding a requirement for 'timescale separation' and potential 'memory' mechanisms. The study could deepen our understanding of how learning and memory operate at the most basic level of life.
A new framework describes the balance between automatic responses and goal-directed control in habit formation. This imbalance can lead to everyday action slips and compulsive behaviors. The research provides a 'playbook' for behavior change, including strategies like implementation intentions and clinical interventions.
A study by University of Cambridge researchers found that teenagers become more sensitive to threats after a few hours alone, regardless of digital connection. This increased threat response can lead to anxiety and unease, even in the presence of online interactions.
A study found that smoking habits interfere with performance on cognitive tasks involving memory and attention, and impairs a person's ability to detect deception. The study revealed two clusters of participants with differing physiological responses to stress, including pupil dilation and heart rate parameters.
A study published in PNAS found that prolonged mental fatigue can lead to a decrease in self-control, causing individuals to behave more aggressively. The researchers discovered that areas of the frontal cortex dedicated to executive functions showed sleep-like activity when subjects were subjected to demanding mental tasks.
Researchers at Tufts University and Vanderbilt University developed a biomarker to detect inflexible thinking in schizophrenia. The study found that people with schizophrenia generate unique neural patterns when making decisions based on conflicting information.
Researchers found that people systematically underestimate their wrist mobility in three out of four hand movements, with an average underestimation of ten degrees. This distortion is believed to protect against injury by preventing overshooting and allowing for small corrections during movement.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas are using a 7-Tesla MRI machine to study brain structure, function, and cognition across time. The team aims to identify biomarkers for healthy or pathological aging, shedding light on individual differences in brain aging.
A study found that 4.6% of Nigerian participants with COVID-19 experienced neurologic symptoms, with some still experiencing symptoms two years after their initial episode. Researchers plan to treat these patients using similar techniques used in the US, aiming to alleviate their suffering.