Articles tagged with Cognitive Control
Early bilingualism may protect theory of mind abilities against normal age-related declines. The research team found that early bilingualism was associated with higher gray matter volume, greater cortical thickness, and larger surface area in brain regions involved in mental state inferences and language processes.
Academics from the University of Birmingham suggest a new approach to identifying consciousness in babies, building on adult markers. They propose clustering markers across early and late development stages to pinpoint emergence.
Research highlights advances in developmental executive functions study from Latin American regions, finding both universality and cultural specificity in EFs development. This contextualized approach fosters effective pathways for supporting children's cognitive and emotional development.
Researchers have identified genetic variants linked to cognitive control and social problems in schizophrenia, potentially paving the way for more effective treatments. The study found that these variants are not targeted by current medications, which often focus on dopamine pathways.
A first-of-its-kind study uses gait analysis to detect subtle impairments in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, suggesting curved path walking as a more sensitive detection method. The novel system employs a non-invasive depth camera to record gait and provides detailed information on functional performance.
Researchers at Brown University's Carney Institute for Brain Science discovered how the brain coordinates attention and filtering functions to perform complex tasks. The study found that multiple brain regions work together to adjust focus and filter out distractions, providing insight into human cognitive flexibility.
Children exposed to higher levels of airborne lead in their first five years showed slightly lower IQs and less self-control, with boys being more susceptible. The study's findings support the importance of reducing environmental pollution on child development.
A new study published by a University of Waterloo researcher suggests that specific parenting behaviors, such as guiding verbal and physical cues, can help break down pathways leading to ADHD symptoms. Early targeted intervention is crucial in predicting the development of ADHD symptoms in children with exuberant temperament.
A preliminary study presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2024 found that lifetime exposure to sexual assault and other traumatic stressors can negatively impact subsequent stroke recovery. Researchers analyzed data from the STRONG study and discovered that stroke survivors exposed to sexual ass...
Research suggests that high aerobic fitness in children with overweight or obesity is linked to improved executive functions, academic performance, and larger brain volume. The 20-meter shuttle run test is a reliable predictor of brain health outcomes in this population.
A NTU Singapore study found that ageing alters brain cells' communication, leading to weakening connections and poorer memory in middle-aged mice. The research suggests strengthening these connections through memory training may delay age-related working memory decline.
Researchers found that cognition scores remained stable two years after bariatric surgery, while secondary executive function tests showed improvement. However, one memory assessment declined following surgery. Further studies are needed to confirm the findings and understand how best to treat cognitive decline associated with obesity.
A two-week yoga nidra intervention increased sleep efficiency and percentage of delta-waves in deep sleep, leading to improved cognitive abilities such as decision-making and abstraction. Cognitive tests revealed faster responses with no loss in accuracy.
A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that taking cocoa extract supplements containing 500 mg of flavanols daily may improve cognitive function in older adults with lower habitual diet quality. In contrast, participants with healthy dietary patterns showed no cognitive benefits.
A new study finds that exposure and response prevention (EX/RP) therapy for OCD improves cognitive control by strengthening connections between brain networks. This breakthrough sheds light on the mechanisms underlying EX/RP's effectiveness in treating OCD, paving the way for targeted therapies.
A breakthrough study found that light exercise can improve cognitive health in adults with Down syndrome, leading to improved information processing and attention. After just eight weeks of walking, participants showed significant increases in physical fitness and reductions in errors during cognitive assessments.
A study from the University of Ottawa found that sleep deprivation significantly impacts decision-making processes, reducing neural responses to winning and losing outcomes. This can lead to diminished positive emotions in response to winning and negative emotions when faced with losses.
Researchers at UCSF and Kaiser Permanente Washington found that participants who received personalized coaching experienced a 74% improvement in cognitive testing compared to non-intervention participants. The study also showed improvements in risk factors and quality of life, with modest but significant increases in cognitive function.
Research from the University of Bath found that cognitive abilities such as memory and verbal fluency were correlated with voting decisions. The study suggests that low cognitive ability makes people more susceptible to misinformation and disinformation, contributing to the Leave vote.
Researchers found that bilingual individuals were more efficient at ignoring irrelevant information compared to monolinguals. This ability is thought to arise from the constant language switching required in bilinguals. The study's findings suggest that bilingualism may have cognitive benefits, particularly in attentional control.
Researchers tested EMDR, a therapy proven to treat PTSD and depression, to reduce addiction cravings. The study found Addiction-focused EMDR was as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy for cravings, reducing symptoms by clinically significant amounts.
Researchers investigate centro-cingulate network changes and cholinergic innervation deficits in Parkinson disease and normal aging. Studies reveal significant correlations between centro-cingulate changes and cognitive impairments, motor symptoms, and age.
A recent study published in Nutrients found that daily strawberry consumption can improve cognitive performance and reduce depressive symptoms in middle-aged adults. The research, led by Professor Robert Krikorian, suggests that strawberries contain antioxidants and micronutrients that may help mitigate the risk of dementia.
A new study in Nature Communications presents a large-scale chart of cognitive development in teens, revealing that executive function usually matures by 18 years old. The findings have significant implications for psychiatrists, neuroscientists, parents, educators, and the judicial system.
A virtual, home-based exercise program using cognitively enriched tai ji quan improved global cognition and reduced walking interference associated with dual tasking in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. The intervention also showed favorable improvements in cognition, function, executive function, and working memory.
Researchers found that longer nights of better sleep correlate with improved mood, motivation, and reduced sleepiness. Irregular sleep patterns had a negative effect on mental well-being, while daytime naps may alleviate inadequate nocturnal sleep's effects.
Researchers highlight microvascular contributions to white matter injury in Alzheimer's disease, sparking calls for exploration of connections between AD, WM injury and cerebral small vessel disease. The study emphasizes the critical need to define mechanisms and diagnostic features of mixed vascular and AD neuropathological change.
A new study published in PLOS ONE found that exposure to night shift work and rotating shift work is associated with higher rates of cognitive impairment among middle-aged and older adults. Cognitive function tests revealed impairment in memory and executive function, suggesting a potential link between shift work and neurodegeneration.
Researchers found that childhood adversity can reshape an individual's moral development, leading to a 'deformative experience' that pulls them away from their true nature. This asymmetric sensitivity to life history information affects judgments of praise and blame.
Research found that very light exercise can improve prefrontal executive function, with pupil dilation during exercise indicating subsequent improvement. Pupil-linked neural activity was also shown to activate the brain's noradrenergic arousal system.
A three-month mild exercise program improved executive function in middle-aged and older adults by increasing neural efficiency in the prefrontal cortex. The benefits were particularly pronounced in the older adult group, suggesting a positive impact on cognitive function and brain function with minimal physical exertion.
A study led by Dartmouth College researchers found that participants' color memory improved when stimuli were meaningful and part of real-world objects. The results demonstrate that the capacity for visual working memory of colors is more continuous and flexible than previously thought, with better recall of colors in meaningful contexts.
A randomized controlled study found that transitional employment programs had no significant impact on recidivism, but participants were more likely to be employed. Cognitive behavioral interventions showed marginal benefits in reducing reconviction odds.
A new study published in PLOS ONE found that kindness meditation improves the retrieval of specific personal memories in people with a history of depression. After four weeks, participants in the meditation group showed increased memory specificity and reduced rumination compared to those in the control condition.
A new study found that the serotonin booster prucalopride increased functional brain connectivity in healthy adults, particularly between cognitive networks. The results suggest that prucalopride may improve cognitive function and have therapeutic potential for depression patients.
A recent study of 30,465 adults without a history of heart attack or dementia found that those who experienced an MI had a faster rate of decline in global cognition, memory, and executive function compared to those without an MI. The study suggests that preventing heart attacks may be crucial for maintaining long-term brain health.
A study by University of California, Riverside found that older adults are less likely to ignore distractors in their surroundings while engaging in a cognitive task and an effortful physical task. This decline is greater when simultaneously performing a physical task, such as driving or carrying grocery bags.
More than half of stroke survivors develop cognitive impairment within a year, with 1 in 3 at risk for dementia. Early screening and comprehensive care are advised to support stroke survivors with cognitive impairment.
A new study reveals an association between poor air quality in India and impaired cognition in infants under two. The study found that air quality was poorer in homes that used solid cooking materials like cow dung cake, and that reducing cooking emissions could have benefits to infants' emerging cognitive abilities.
A UC Riverside-led study finds nearly half of domestic well water users in the Central Valley live in disadvantaged communities with high manganese contamination rates. The highest concentrations are found in private, untreated well water systems, posing health risks to fetuses and children.
Researchers discovered that ocular drifts, tiny jitters in the eyes, can be influenced by prior knowledge of expected visual targets, indicating a surprising level of cognitive control. This study adds to our understanding of how vision is controlled and directed by cognitive processes.
A recent study published in JAMA Network Open found that food insecurity is associated with a decline in executive function among older adults. The research used data from 3,037 community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries and suggests that interventions to increase healthy food access may be crucial in mitigating cognitive decline.
A new national US study suggests that young children who are taught by a teacher of the same ethnicity as themselves develop better learning and problem-solving skills by the age of seven. The effect was most pronounced in Black and Latinx children, with improved working memory and reading achievement scores.
A Dartmouth study found that COVID-19 can cause 'prosopagnosia,' or face blindness, and impairments in navigational abilities. Researchers worked with a patient who experienced difficulty recognizing faces and navigating, leading to dissociation between face recognition and cognitive map representation.
Researchers are developing wearable robotic arms that can assist with daily living tasks, using non-invasive techniques. This technology has the potential to improve quality of life for individuals with sensory and motor deficits, such as spinal cord injuries or stroke survivors.
Researchers discovered that telomere shortening is associated with early subjective depressive symptoms and cognitive complaints among healthy elderly individuals. The study also found a link between telomere shortening and increased interleukin-6 levels.
Researchers successfully recorded brain activity from freely moving octopuses, using implantable data loggers and electrodes. The study provides key findings on the neural mechanisms controlling octopus behavior, including patterns of brain activity similar to those in mammals.
Researchers found a significant link between chronic pain and dementia, with multisite chronic pain increasing the risk of neurocognitive abnormality by up to eight years.
Researchers found that rats adopt a non-greedy strategy to balance speed and accuracy, sacrificing immediate rewards for improved learning outcomes. The study suggests that slower reaction times lead to faster learning and higher rewards in both experimental and simulated environments.
A recent study of 437 children reveals associations between infant screen use and electroencephalography markers with cognitive outcomes. The findings suggest that excessive screen time during infancy may contribute to impairments in executive function.
Researchers at Ohio State University discovered that pregnant women who struggle with executive functions – planning and regulating their behavior – tend to consume more fat. Coaching these skills may be key to improving dietary outcomes.
A study by Plamen Nikolov and Shahadath Hossain found that access to retirement plans can lead to significant adverse effects on cognitive functioning among the elderly. The researchers discovered that pension benefits and retirement resulted in reduced cognitive performance, particularly among females.
A new study finds epigenetic aging is associated with aberrant neural oscillatory dynamics serving visuospatial processing in people with HIV. Participants showed accelerated biological age and different brain activity patterns compared to controls, suggesting a link between biological aging and neural function in PWH.
A new study has shed light on how the most commonly used ADHD medication, methylphenidate, works in the brain. The research found that methylphenidate increases dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens and improves coordinated brain network activity, resulting in more stable sustained attention in children with ADHD.
Research suggests exercise-induced activation of peripheral systems, such as muscle, gut, and liver, may affect neural plasticity and cognitive health. Circulating cathepsin B (CTSB) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF) have been found to possess robust neuroprotective effects.
A new study published in NEJM Evidence found that crossword puzzle training significantly improved cognitive function and daily activities, reducing brain shrinkage in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. The findings suggest that engaging with familiar activities like crossword puzzles may be more effective than computerized co...
A new study by Johns Hopkins Medicine reveals that stress influences appetite in both obese and lean adults, with differences in brain responses to food. The research found that obese individuals show increased activation of the orbitofrontal cortex after stress, while lean adults exhibit lower activation of cognitive control regions.
Clinical psychologists need new ways to understand and confront the fear of losing control, which is an understudied construct. Adam Radomsky's research suggests that a deeper understanding of what leads to a client's choices can help therapists make better ones in the future.
Research suggests widely-used assessment tools measuring executive functions in US students from high-poverty communities are inaccurate. The study highlights the need for culturally representative assessments to provide effective support and understanding of diverse student needs.
A new study found that toddlers who spent less than 60 minutes on screens per day and engaged in daily physical activity had better executive function skills. This includes abilities such as inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility.