Articles tagged with Cognitive Control
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A study shows that intensive physical training can harm brain capacity, particularly cognitive control. Excessive physical activity is linked to reduced activity of the lateral prefrontal cortex, leading to impulsive decision-making and burnout syndrome.
A study published in PLOS Biology found that crows can deliberately control their calls, suggesting a high level of cognitive sophistication. The research used trained carrion crows to learn and respond to specific cues, revealing the birds' ability to exert control over their vocalizations.
Early-life adversity impacts executive function skills, such as focusing and organizing tasks, and brain chemistry, affecting stress hormones like cortisol. This snowball effect contributes to social and emotional challenges throughout childhood.
A new study reveals that specific brain regions, including executive function areas and sensory monitoring zones, moderate both depressive mood and physical pain. The research found that individuals with higher levels of depressive mood exhibited increased sensitivity to pain and heightened activation in these brain regions.
Researchers at the Center for BrainHealth found that combined cognitive training with Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training (SMART) and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) improved executive functions, episodic memory, and subjective memory satisfaction in adults with mild cognitive impairment. However, tDCS failed to...
A study found that teenagers with ADHD who got less sleep experienced significant deficits in executive functioning skills, including working memory, planning, and organization. In contrast, those who got more sleep showed improved performance.
A new study shows that deep-brain stimulation improves cognitive control by increasing low-frequency brain rhythms in the prefrontal cortex. This finding could lead to more effective treatment plans tailored to individual patients' needs.
A new study assesses how large-scale patterns of brain activity relate to different cognitive systems, revealing variations between individuals. The research uses computational modeling to simulate brain activity and identify repeatable patterns in some cognitive systems.
A Baycrest study reveals that adults experiencing frequent forgetfulness or distraction may be displaying earlier symptoms of cerebral small vessel disease, a 'silent stroke'. Individuals with brain damage from these strokes reported poor attentiveness and being sidetracked more frequently on day-to-day tasks.
A new study found that aerobic exercise training increases executive function and cortical thickness in the brain of young adults, suggesting that exercise can prevent or slow age-related cognitive decline. The flexibility of the exercise protocol made it more attractive to the general population.
A new study published in PLOS ONE found that bilingualism does not improve executive functions in children, including remembering instructions and controlling responses. Researchers used a computer test to compare the cognitive abilities of Turkish-German bilingual and monolingual children between ages 5-15.
A new study reveals that anticipation of touch in children's brains relates to their executive function skills, including selective attention. Children's ability to anticipate a tactile impact is associated with better cognitive control and academic performance.
Researchers at the University of Zurich found that people who take cocaine cut with levamisole show impaired cognitive performance and a thinned prefrontal cortex. The study suggests that drug-checking programs should be expanded to protect users from the toxic effects of levamisole.
Researchers discover cerebellum's involvement in higher-order cognition, including attention, thinking, planning, and decision-making. The cerebellum was found to be responsible for quality control over thoughts and actions, with 80% of its networks devoted to these functions.
The National Science Foundation has awarded $16 million to 18 cross-disciplinary projects exploring the intersection of neural and cognitive systems. These innovative research approaches aim to tackle fundamental questions about the brain, developing new methods for studying neural activity and behavior.
Bilingual individuals exhibit unique brain activity when switching between languages, with increased cognitive control activity during disengagement. In contrast, engaging in a new language comes relatively cost-free from a neurobiological standpoint, suggesting that the burden of language-switching lies in disengagement.
Researchers found that parrots make deliberate, profit-maximizing decisions, prioritizing higher-value food over immediate rewards. However, individual motivation plays a role, with some birds valuing the token itself over economic gain.
A new study found significant correlations between blood levels of EPA plus DHA omega-3s and cognitive depression in heart failure subjects. The study also showed improvements in social functioning and a positive correlation between the Omega-3 Index and reduced cognitive depression scores.
Research found a strong correlation between blood omega-3s and executive function in children from Northern Ghana. Children with higher omega-3 levels were more likely to perform better on cognitive tests, suggesting potential benefits for brain development.
A new study published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence found that most teenagers do have behavioral brakes, contradicting the long-held idea that adolescence is a time of impulsive behavior. The research suggests that only children with weak cognitive control are at risk for trouble in adulthood.
Researchers assessed 21 professional athletes on neuropsychological measures, executive function, and advanced brain imaging. The study found mild cognitive impairment but no statistically significant impairment compared to non-contact sport controls.
Researchers identified a larger volume of gray matter in resilient readers in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which is important for executive functions and working memory. This finding may help develop new reading interventions that emphasize executive functions and working memory.
A new study found that 'skinny fat,' a combination of low muscle mass and high fat mass, may predict cognitive decline in older adults. Sarcopenic obesity was associated with the lowest performance on global cognition tests, followed by sarcopenia alone and then obesity alone.
Research shows that anxious individuals exert more cognitive control when making a risky decision, resulting in less risky choices. Higher frontal midline theta power predicts this increased cognitive control and associated risk aversion.
Researchers found that simply being told a musician is professional changes the way the brain responds to music, with more activity in pleasure and reward regions for 'professional' recordings. Overcoming this bias requires conscious effort, as participants who resisted the bias showed increased executive control.
Primary school children with lower executive function skills are more likely to show increased aggression in middle childhood, including physical and relational types. The study suggests that improving executive function could reduce aggression, and training programs may be effective in achieving this.
A comprehensive review of 152 studies on bilingualism and executive functions found no significant benefits for bilinguals. Bilingualism is beneficial for communication between people and cultures, but not for cognitive skills like focusing attention or switching tasks.
A new study by Concordia professor Natalie Phillips explores the effects of bilingualism on patients with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. The research found that multilingual individuals may be able to compensate for AD-related tissue loss by accessing alternative networks in their brains for memory processing.
A long-term study by Norwegian University of Science and Technology researchers has shed new light on the consequences of very low birth weights on cognitive development. The study found that individuals born with very low birth weights have difficulties with cognitive control, including proactive and reactive systems.
A study conducted by primary school pupils found that exercising at their own pace significantly improves a child's mood, attention, and memory. The research used over 11,000 schoolchildren across the UK, who completed various physical activities before answering tests on concentration and happiness.
A preschool program called REDI (Research-based, Developmentally Informed) has been shown to improve executive function skills and academic performance in low-income children. The program focuses on building social and emotional skills, which are critical for learning and classroom engagement.
A study by University of Miami researchers found that individuals with specific patterns of salience network dynamics were better able to resist tempting distractors and perform tasks. The study, published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, sheds new light on the neural mechanisms underlying self-control and temptation res...
Children in Montessori preschools show improved academic performance and social understanding, while enjoying their school work more. Low-income children, who typically don't perform as well at school, significantly benefit from Montessori education, achieving similar academic results to high-income peers.
A new study found that consuming a low dose of alcohol can improve bilingual speakers' ability to speak a second language, particularly in terms of pronunciation. However, the study's results suggest that higher levels of alcohol consumption may not have similar benefits.
Terrence Sejnowski will use advanced modeling techniques to understand how the brain stores information and how diseases like schizophrenia and Parkinson's affect it. The project aims to create a layered control system model of the brain, testing its accuracy with human tasks requiring fast reflexes and long-range planning.
The NSF has awarded 19 projects to study neural and cognitive systems, advancing frontiers in cognitive science and neuroscience. The research focuses on four themes: education, engineering, computer science, and the impact of neural systems on these fields.
Researchers identified the specific region of the brain affected by anoxic brain injury (ABI) in children who survived drowning. The study found that networks controlling perception and cognition remain intact, while motor pathways are damaged.
A study published in PNAS found that exposure to violent episodes hinders short-term memory and cognitive control, with significant impacts on school performance, job prospects, and overall life success. Researchers examined civilians in Colombia, finding long-lasting effects of violence on cognition and memory recall.
A new study by UCL and Bangor University researchers found that artists and architects think differently compared to other people and even among themselves. The study used Cognitive Discourse Analysis to categorize responses from participants describing spaces in different ways, revealing patterns related to their profession.
A treatment for depression using the Emotional Faces Memory Task resulted in a significantly greater reduction of major depressive disorder symptoms compared to a control group. The digital therapeutic targets an imbalance in brain regions involved in emotion processing and cognitive control.
Researchers mapped brain network changes underlying improved executive function in youth, finding a modular yet globally integrated network structure. This architecture supports specialized processing and reduces interference between brain systems.
A study published in Current Biology reveals that brain networks become increasingly divided into distinct modules during adolescence, which influences improvements in executive function. The findings suggest that modular sub-networks are critical for complex cognition and behavior, and may predict risks for mental illnesses.
Researchers found significant cultural differences in cognitive skills among adolescent participants but not their parents, highlighting the importance of considering developmental and cultural perspectives. The study suggests that cultural contrasts may differ in nature as well as magnitude at different points along the life span.
Researchers found that viewing images of cold landscapes improved cognitive control, suggesting that temperature perception can influence mental processes. The study's results suggest a possible explanation for the relationship between temperature and cognitive control, including social proximity.
A Concordia study found that watching TV for more than two hours a day negatively impacts kindergarten readiness, particularly among children from lower-income families. The study suggests limiting screen time, especially in middle- to lower-income households, is crucial for early academic skills and executive functioning.
A new study from Karolinska Institutet shows that executive cognitive functions in children and young people can be quantified and linked to their performance on the football pitch. The study found strong results for simpler forms of executive function, such as working memory, to be associated with success.
A new study finds that executive function and engagement in classroom-based play in kindergarten are linked to participation in extracurricular activities in middle school among low-income children. The study suggests that early childhood experiences shape civic engagement later in life.
Researchers found that women who had their last pregnancy at 35 or older scored higher on verbal memory and executive function tests. The study suggests that hormonal changes during menopause can have a positive impact on cognitive function if they occur later in life.
Researchers found that older adults can outperform younger counterparts on certain problem-solving tasks by broadening their attention more easily. This study challenges the common assumption that aging brains require high cognitive control and highlights the potential benefits of reduced focus.
A study published in Frontiers found that individuals with greater self-control tend to engage in healthier behaviors, which in turn improve their executive function. The research suggests a bidirectional relationship between physical activity, executive function, and healthy behavior.
Researchers developed a smart wheelchair navigation system that incorporates enhanced safety features and warning systems to assist users more effectively. The system can detect emotional distress or drowsiness in the user, provide warnings, and monitor vital signs for diagnostic purposes.
A new study published in Cognitive Systems Research found that moderate exercise like running improves memory retention for students who have just learned new information. The researchers suggest that physical stress activates the brain's 'memory storage mode', retaining the information.
Children with emotionally invested parents tend to be more successful due to their enhanced cognitive control, including improved memory, impulse resistance, and social behavior. This study suggests that a caring and emotionally attentive environment can have long-lasting benefits for children's future life skills.
Neuroscientists at the University of Pittsburgh identified key brain regions influencing the adrenal medulla, shedding light on the mind-body connection. The study provides a neural basis for psychosomatic illness and suggests meditation and exercise can modulate stress responses by targeting specific cortical areas.
Researchers at Rice University found a link between emotional stress and Type 2 diabetes, with low inhibition leading to increased pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-6. The study showed that individuals with poor inhibition were more likely to develop diabetes due to the pathway from high anxiety to inflammation.
The DFG has approved a second funding period for TU Dresden's Collaborative Research Centre CRC 940, investigating the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying self-control and volitional action. The centre aims to elucidate impairments of self-control in mental disorders such as addictions or eating disorders.
A new University of Toronto study examines the effect of infant vocalizations on adult cognitive conflict processing and attention. The research found that infant cries reduce attention to tasks and trigger greater cognitive conflict than infant laughs.
Researchers used transitional probability to segment natural language and found it effective for 49-86% of word identification across languages. The method performed better on stress-timed languages, while mora-timed languages required relative thresholding.
A recent U of T study found that acetaminophen inhibits Error Related Negativity and Error Related Positivity in the brain, indicating impaired conscious awareness of errors. The research suggests potential implications for cognitive control in daily life.
Research reveals that bilingual babies exhibit stronger brain responses to speech sounds compared to monolingual peers. Bilingualism is shown to shape cognitive development and improve executive function skills, with babies displaying sensitivity to both languages from 11 months of age.