Articles tagged with Cognition
Research finds that 40Hz sensory stimulation promotes broad-based restorative neurological health response in mice with Down syndrome. The study shows improved cognition, increased neural activity, and enhanced neurogenesis, suggesting potential therapeutic benefits.
A single dose of a psychedelic compound can enhance cognitive flexibility for weeks after administration, according to a groundbreaking study. Mice treated with the compound showed improved performance in reversal learning tasks compared to control groups when tested weeks later.
Research from the University of Sydney finds that high-fat, high-sugar diets can impair brain function, specifically location memory and spatial navigation. Participants who consumed fewer fatty and sugary foods were better able to navigate virtual reality mazes and recall locations.
Researchers found that sleep duration returns to baseline within two days, but changes in sleep timing and structure can take more than a week, with eastward travel causing the most disruption. The study analyzed 1.5 million nights of data from wearables like Oura Ring.
Researchers found that habitually exercising retired adults outperformed sedentary peers in physical and cognitive tests. The study suggests that regular physical activity can help avoid the negative impacts of mental fatigue on cognitive and physical performance.
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.
A study of over 105,000 individuals found that following a healthy diet rich in plant-based foods and moderate animal-based foods can promote overall healthy aging. The Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) was the leading dietary pattern, emphasizing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.
Researchers at WashU Medicine have found that rejuvenating the network of vessels outside the brain can improve memory in old mice. The study lays the groundwork for developing therapies to overcome the challenges faced by conventional medications, which struggle to reach the brain due to the blood-brain barrier.
A clinical trial shows that removing amyloid plaques from the brain can delay Alzheimer's symptoms, supporting the amyloid hypothesis. The treatment reduced the risk of developing dementia in people destined to develop early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
A new study of over 1,500 individuals in the US and Europe found that those prone to nostalgia have more close friends and work harder to maintain their relationships. Nostalgia is associated with a greater number of strong social ties and better overall health and wellbeing.
A recent study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that good parenting can improve cognitive and language skills in children, but only up to a point. Prenatal social disadvantage is associated with lower scores, and supportive parenting behaviors may not be enough to overcome its effects.
A new study from the University of Bristol found an association between fish intake and the behavioural development of children. Children who consumed the least amounts of seafood at 7-years-old were likely to be less 'prosocial' at ages 7 and 9 years compared to those who regularly consumed seafood.
A new study found that football teams move as though they are a single person, displaying Lévy walk patterns while hunting for the ball. This collective behavior suggests that individual players complement each other's actions in response to the game.
Researchers found that emotional social media posts increase short-term willingness to pay for sustainable chocolate, but this effect diminishes within two weeks. The study suggests that emotional content can be an effective way to promote sustainable consumption in the short term.
Elevated fluoride concentrations have been shown to impair cognitive abilities in children, particularly verbal reasoning skills and sensory processing. The study suggests that even low levels of exposure can have significant effects, highlighting the need for further research on fluoride health risks.
Researchers discovered that females' dormant X chromosome reactivates in late life, expressing genes related to brain development and cognitive health. This phenomenon may explain why women outlive men and retain their cognitive abilities longer.
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.
A study published in PLOS found that music designed to support work flow boosts cognitive processing speed and improves mood. The research used a lab test to examine the effects of this type of music on cognitive performance.
Researchers from the University of Surrey have demonstrated that adults can acquire absolute pitch through targeted training. In an eight-week online program, participants made significant progress in identifying musical pitches with high accuracy. The study's findings provide new insights into musical cognition and learning.
A UC Merced study revealed a significant gap in false-belief understanding among preschool children, with lower socioeconomic groups showing the most impact. Children from higher-income backgrounds showed little cognitive effect from lockdowns.
Researchers developed a predictive tool using the Florey Dementia Index to forecast onset ages of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's. The validated tool may help prioritize patients for disease-modifying treatments.
A new Tulane University study suggests that the Mediterranean diet's brain-boosting benefits may work by changing the balance of bacteria in the gut. Researchers found that subjects following a Mediterranean diet developed distinctly different gut bacteria patterns compared to those eating a typical Western diet.
A cross-sectional study found childhood exposure to school segregation strongly associated with reduced late-life cognition among Blacks. The study highlights the need for policies aimed at reducing segregation to address health disparities.
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet used AI to analyze brain images from 70-year-olds and found that factors like inflammation and high glucose levels are associated with an older-looking brain. A healthy lifestyle, on the other hand, was linked to brains with a younger appearance.
A randomized clinical trial found that a brief outpatient rehabilitation program improved physical function in patients with post-COVID condition. The intervention showed sustained benefits over time, with negligible adverse effects.
A new blood-based biomarker, placental growth factor (PlGF), has been identified as a potential tool for detecting early brain changes associated with cognitive impairment and dementia. Elevated PlGF levels were found to be linked to increased vascular permeability, leading to white matter injury and subsequent cognitive decline.
Researchers found that weakly spatial cells gradually correlate their activity with other neurons to form a mental map, stitching together individual locations. Sleep aids in this process, refining neural network activity and consolidating memories.
Adolescents who snore frequently exhibit behavior problems like inattention and rule-breaking, but not cognitive decline. The study tracked nearly 12,000 children from age 9-10 to age 15, finding no correlation between snoring and reduced cognitive abilities.
A new study found that standardized autism screening during pediatric well-child visits identifies more children with high autism likelihood at a younger age. The study used the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised, with Follow-Up (M-CHAT-R/F) and compared it to usual care.
A randomized clinical trial shows cognitive behavioral therapy for prolonged grief outperforms present-centered therapy in treating comorbid symptoms, while both treatments demonstrate effectiveness and acceptability. The findings suggest potential for dissemination and increased patient choice.
A new study found that middle-aged people who engage in everyday physical activity show improvements in cognitive processing speed, which can counteract the natural decline in cognitive abilities with age. The study, led by Penn State researcher Jonathan Hakun, used ecological momentary assessment to track participants' daily activitie...
Researchers found that cognitive performance worsened for older adults on days they felt lonelier than usual and the following day. The study suggests a vicious cycle between loneliness and cognitive decline over the short term, highlighting the importance of early intervention to prevent chronic loneliness.
Research finds that adults outperform children in learning new motor skills, with older individuals improving faster and retaining skills longer. Better sleep appears to benefit children's learning and memory more, but other factors like sleep deprivation may also play a role.
A cohort study found asthma to be associated with memory difficulties in children, which may impact executive function abilities. Earlier asthma onset is likely to exacerbate these effects.
A groundbreaking 25-year research program has unveiled key insights into how our brains age and what factors influence cognitive performance throughout life. Childhood cognitive ability is found to be a significant predictor of intelligence test scores in older age.
A new study published in the journal Aging & Mental Health found that people with more positive expectations of aging tend to report less frequent cognitive problems and are less likely to perceive a decline in their cognitive performance over time. Researchers suggest that modifying older adults' aging expectations could support healt...
A cohort study found that postacute infection syndrome is not exclusive to COVID-19, but it can also occur in people with other severe lower respiratory tract infections. COVID-19 appears to exacerbate neurological, cognitive, and fatigue symptoms compared to other LRTIs.
A new study from UT Arlington found that setting reminders can significantly reduce age-related declines in memory, particularly in prospective memory. The study suggests that reminders help counteract cognitive strain by making memory retrieval less reliant on internal processes.
A cohort study examines how traumatic and adverse childhood experiences influence developmental changes in psychiatric risk and cognitive ability. The findings suggest targeted early prevention and intervention strategies for at-risk youth.
A new study by MIT researchers found that debunking election misinformation is not always effective, but can be successful if people are less certain of their beliefs and believe the authority is unbiased or motivated by accuracy. The model analyzed over 200 scenarios and identified factors that make debunking efforts more successful.
Researchers found that fungi can communicate information throughout their network and adjust growth patterns based on shape. The mycelial network demonstrated pattern recognition abilities, suggesting a form of cognition that is both fascinating and unexplored in the fungal kingdom.
Researchers found that conscious thought requires synchronized communication—mediated by brain rhythms in specific frequency bands—between basic sensory and higher-order cognitive regions of the brain. Under anesthesia, communication was lost, highlighting the key role of frontal areas in consciousness.
A Dartmouth-led study found that people are more skilled at inferring past events from conversations than predicting future events. This phenomenon is attributed to the asymmetrical nature of human knowledge about their own lives and experiences, which influences how people converse.
The study challenges the idea of creating artificial general intelligence (AGI) with human-level cognition, citing limitations in replicating human cognition. Researchers argue that even under ideal circumstances, it is impossible to achieve AGI due to the complexity of cognitive processes.
A study found that galactic cosmic radiation can cause long-lasting learning deficits in female rodents, but an antioxidant compound reduced this impact. The findings contribute to a broader understanding of radiation's long-term impact on cognitive health.
A randomized clinical trial found that a voice-activated cognitive behavioral therapy program improved insomnia symptoms in breast cancer survivors. The intervention, delivered in an in-home setting, demonstrated efficacy in reducing sleep disturbances and enhancing overall quality of life.
A randomized clinical trial shows that transitioning insomnia care away from long-term sedatives to cognitive behavioral therapy can be achieved through a mailed, direct-to-patient approach. This method reduces sedative use and improves sleep outcomes in older adults.
Aging brains struggle to clear out outdated information, leading to slower processing and more frequent forgetfulness. Beta-band neural oscillations play a crucial role in regulating working memory, with older adults showing a stronger link between these oscillations and their ability to delete irrelevant information.
Neuroscientists have discovered a global process across the brain that coordinates sensory input with motor action through learning. In trained mice, neurons link sensory evidence to action initiation, integrating information across multiple brain regions.
A comprehensive review of genetic and population studies challenges conventional wisdom about the relationship between genetic risk and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Premorbid cognitive impairment is largely explained by non-familial factors rather than inherited genetic variants.
A new study published in PLOS ONE shows that dogs trained with soundboard buttons can comprehend specific words and respond appropriately. The study's findings suggest that dogs are not merely 'reading' their owners' body language but are indeed processing the words themselves.
A scoping review from the University of Gothenburg found that music-based movement therapy, known as the Ronnie Gardiner Method, can improve rehabilitation outcomes in individuals with brain disorders. The method has been shown to be challenging, motivating, and enjoyable for participants, leading to improved recovery and quality of life.
Research from King's College London suggests that childhood maltreatment, particularly neglect, is associated with significant cognitive deficits. The study, published in Lancet Psychiatry, used court-documented records and adult recall to test the relative associations of maltreatment with cognitive abilities.
A study published in PLOS ONE found that repetition of climate-skeptical statements increased their perceived truth among climate science endorsers, including those who self-identified as 'Alarmed' by climate change. This effect holds true even for the strongest believers in climate science.
Researchers found that lemurs integrate sensory information with ecological and social knowledge to locate hidden fruit. The animals' ability to remember the location of the fruit weeks later demonstrates their complex cognitive abilities.
Researchers at WVU created a motion-compatible brain scanner that allows patients to move around during imaging. The Ambulatory Motion-enabling PET (AMPET) scanner can help study human behaviors, balance, and emotions, and may be used to monitor brain activity for PTSD treatment and mindfulness meditation.
The review paper examines the scope of people affected by long COVID, ranging from fatigue to cognitive impairment, and current treatment options. Researchers emphasize the need for biomarkers and targeted therapies to address root causes of the disease.
α-Synuclein pathology in asymptomatic stages is linked to NBM atrophy, leading to attention/executive impairment. MRI signatures can detect this pathology in memory clinic populations.
A new study led by UCLA found a 3% to 4% prevalence of ME/CFS-like illness among participants who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection, similar to those who tested negative. The research suggests COVID-19 may not be the primary cause of ME/CFS.