Articles tagged with Cognitive Disorders
A new study led by NUI Galway researchers provides insights into the neural basis of general cognitive ability (IQ) and its relationship with brain structure and schizophrenia. The research used diffusion tensor imaging to analyze brain scans and measures of cognitive function in over 1,700 participants.
Researchers discovered that Epo increases nerve cell production and connections in the brain, leading to improved cognitive performance. Cognitive challenges trigger oxygen deficits, stimulating Epo production, which drives neuroplasticity and neurogenesis.
A new study found that widowhood can lead to a sharper cognitive decline in older adults, particularly those with high beta-amyloid levels. This effect was observed even after controlling for other factors such as age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
A study of nearly 20,000 participants found that living in the Stroke Belt as a child or young adult increased the risk of cognitive impairment later in life. Moving away from the region at middle age may provide some protection against cognitive decline linked to stroke.
A functional MRI study found that social anxiety characterized by fear of making others uncomfortable is associated with weakened connectivity in the cognitive-empathy brain network. This suggests impaired cognitive processing during embarrassing situations may contribute to social anxiety.
A two-year study examined the effect of walnut consumption on cognitive function in nearly 640 free-living elders. While healthy adults showed little change, those who had smoked more and had lower baseline scores benefited from walnut intake.
Researchers found associations between sensory difficulties, cognitive impairments, and disease severity in individuals with multiple sclerosis. Sensory processing deficits also affected functional performance of everyday life activities.
A study of over 200 patients with bipolar disorder found that high levels of inflammation, as measured by C-reactive protein, were significantly linked to poor cognitive performance. This suggests a potentially modifiable risk factor for cognitive deficits, and highlights the importance of addressing inflammation in treatment.
Studies of autism spectrum disorder have identified new features of the condition in the brain, including the role of placental hormones and gene editing technologies. These findings may contribute to the development of therapeutic treatments for individuals with ASD.
A new study suggests that measuring how quickly a person's pupils dilate during cognitive tests may be a viable method for detecting Alzheimer's disease risk before symptoms appear. The study links pupillary dilation responses to identified AD risk genes, providing proof-of-concept for this screening tool.
A study found that major surgery is associated with a small long-term decline in cognitive functioning, equivalent to less than five months of natural brain ageing. The odds of substantial cognitive decline also increase after surgery, approximately doubling.
Higher levels of daily physical activity may slow cognitive decline and brain tissue loss in people with high amyloid plaque in the brain. The study suggests that physical activity might reduce b-amyloid-related cortical thinning and preserve gray matter structure.
Researchers propose a personalized model to study age-related cognitive decline, considering individual risk factors, genetic variants and lifestyle. The goal is to maintain brain health throughout the entire adult lifespan.
A new University of Michigan study found that fall-related injuries are a leading cause of hospital readmissions among people 65 or older. Hospitals can improve patient recovery and mobility by emphasizing personalized fall prevention before discharge, especially for at-risk patients.
Research suggests that childhood affluence may hinder cognitive development in adulthood, as those with the most advantageous conditions experience stronger cognitive decline over time. This study analyzed data from 24,066 individuals and found a paradoxical relationship between socioeconomic status and cognitive aging.
A new study found that hearing impairment accelerates cognitive decline with age, but higher education reduces the impact of milder hearing losses. The researchers tracked 1,164 participants over 24 years and discovered that social engagement did not affect the association between hearing loss and cognitive decline.
A meta-analysis of 242 studies reveals common neurocognitive network alterations across psychiatric disorders, including reduced gray matter and disrupted functional connectivity. These findings suggest that neuroimaging may be providing a measure of symptom-related pathology, rather than directly related to the disease process.
US diplomats experienced sudden-onset symptoms including dizziness and cognitive impairment after exposure to a high-frequency noise at the Havana embassy. Researchers found an inner ear abnormality and evidence of cognitive dysfunction in affected individuals, with symptoms persisting even after treatment.
A new digital software tool, THINC-it, evaluates cognitive functions of severely depressed people and provides an accurate measure of patients' cognitive difficulties. The research assessed the tool's effectiveness in checking the cognitive function of 127 life-long sufferers of MDD.
A study of 3,112 community-dwelling adults aged 60+ found distinct risk factors for falls in men and women. Injurious falls were more commonly associated with low blood pressure and balance issues in men, while underweight and cognitive impairment were key risks for women.
A study of 17 healthy adults found that smoked and vaporized marijuana produced different cognitive and psychomotor effects. Vaporized cannabis resulted in stronger psychoactive effects and higher blood concentrations of THC compared to equal doses of smoked cannabis.
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.
Research reveals obesity activates microglia, consuming healthy synapses and leading to dendritic spine loss. Microglial activity is causally linked to obesity-induced cognitive decline, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for this condition.
A St. Jude Children's Research Hospital study found that over half of pediatric central nervous system tumor survivors do not achieve complete independence as adults. Cognitive impairment and physical performance limitations are strong predictors of non-independence.
Perinatal exposure to phthalates impairs the development of rats' brains, leading to reduced neurons and synapses. The study also shows deficits in cognitive flexibility, suggesting potential negative effects on behavior. Researchers used environmentally relevant phthalate concentrations to simulate human exposures.
A study found that participants who resisted alcohol-induced impairment were more resilient to sleep deprivation, suggesting a correlation between adenosine A1 receptor changes and cognitive resilience.
A position paper from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends image rehearsal therapy as a useful treatment option for nightmare disorder and PTSD-associated nightmares. Cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnosis, and other interventions may also be effective, while clonazepam and venlafaxine are not recommended.
A study found that damage to brain pathways can lead to attention deficit in patients with subcortical stroke. The research used voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping and diffusion tensor tractography to identify the responsible impaired connections.
Cognitive deficits affect 40-65% of MS patients, impacting daily living and employment status. Cognitive abilities decline when patients convert from RRMS to SPMS, particularly in learning new information and mental processing speed.
A nationwide study found that Medicare's Annual Wellness Visit has only a minimal effect on early identification of cognitive impairment and subsequent care. The visit did lead to increased use of laboratory tests for thyroid dysfunction and vitamin B deficiency, which may be related to reversible causes of cognitive impairment.
Patients with OCD suffer from a severe reduction in quality of life due to the maladaptive strategies they use. The study suggests that teaching children skills such as coping with bullying and emotional turmoil through cognitive training may help improve their daily lives and prevent mental health disorders.
Research found distinct changes in brain structures and concurrent symptoms that differed between men and women with sleep apnea. Women showed more regions of the superior frontal lobe thinning than men or control groups, linked to enhanced cognitive deficits.
A new study found that lower sodium levels in the blood, known as hyponatremia, are related to declines in cognitive function with advancing age. Slightly lower serum sodium levels were associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment and decline over time, while high serum sodium was also linked to cognitive decline.
A new study examined the social functioning of 169 middle-aged adults with autism spectrum disorders, revealing unmet needs in areas such as employment, social relationships, and community participation.
Adults with treated HIV experience cognitive decline and smaller brain volumes, but effective therapy may halt progression. Brain changes were observed even after two years of treatment, highlighting the importance of monitoring viral suppression in HIV patients.
Cognivive's video games aim to enhance spatiotemporal cognitive abilities, building underlying capacity that different skills can draw on, improving real-world problem-solving abilities.
A study aims to develop biomarkers for early detection of cognitive and behavioral problems in premature infants, enabling the design of early interventions. The research focuses on identifying structural abnormalities in subcortical brain regions that may predict long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.
A study published in JNeurosci found that sleep-deprived rats exhibited rapid transitions between wake- and sleep-like states, disrupting neural activity. The researchers suggest that one function of sleep is to reset the activity of neural networks for optimal information processing while awake.
A new study published in Radiology uses a combination of MRI techniques to identify brain regions associated with cognitive impairment in active professional fighters. The researchers found that lower gray matter volume and white matter tract integrity at baseline measurements were linked to increased risk of cognitive decline over time.
Researchers at King's College London found that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) improved cognitive performance, particularly in working memory and executive functioning, in individuals with schizophrenia. The study suggests that tDCS may be a promising new treatment for the condition's cognitive deficits.
A study of 3,904 men found no association between high school football participation and later-life cognitive impairment or depression. This challenges previous concerns about the sport's safety, particularly regarding chronic traumatic encephalopathy and concussion risks.
A study found that substance use, particularly binge drinking and cocaine, is associated with cognitive impairments such as attention deficits and executive functioning issues. Cognitive impairments were also linked to daily life difficulties, impeding treatment utilization, and decreased effectiveness of treatment.
A study of cognitively normal individuals found that those with elevated brain amyloid levels were more likely to experience cognitive decline over a median of 3.1 years. The research suggests that preclinical Alzheimer's disease may represent the pre-symptomatic stage of AD.
A recent study found that even moderate drinking is associated with an increased risk of adverse brain outcomes and steeper decline in cognitive skills. Higher alcohol consumption over 30 years was linked to hippocampal atrophy, poorer white matter integrity, and faster decline in language fluency.
A new study develops an objective tool to rule out a history of mild head traumas in ageing patients with abnormal cognitive decline. The tool combines markers from brain assessments and may help former athletes sue sports associations for alleged long-term effects.
Researchers identified brain scans, genetic tests, and CSF analysis as predictive biomarkers for Parkinson's disease-related cognitive decline. Biomarkers associated with dopamine deficiency, beta-amyloid protein, and single nucleotide polymorphisms were found to correlate with cognitive impairment in newly diagnosed patients.
A new theory published in the journal Human Development proposes that adults can learn new skills and combat cognitive aging by adopting broad learning strategies similar to those used in infancy. By embracing open-minded learning, individualized scaffolding, growth mindset, forgiving environment, serious commitment to learning, and le...
A study published in JAMA Neurology found that 72% of patients with concussive blast TBI experienced a decline in disability over five years. Satisfaction with life and psychiatric symptom severity were worse in these patients compared to combat-deployed service members without TBI.
Patients with OCD have difficulty learning which stimulus is safe and vice versa due to impaired brain activity, specifically in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. This cognitive inflexibility affects how they perceive threats under updated circumstances, making current exposure therapies less effective.
Alzheimer's patients have different chemical properties in their 'good' cholesterol, which can lead to inflammation and cognitive impairment. The study found a 5.5 times increase of a dysfunctional HDL subfraction and a decreased protein/lipid ratio, associated with reduced brain function.
A randomized controlled pilot trial found that N-acetylcysteine combined with group cognitive behavioral therapy reduced PTSD symptoms, cravings, and depression significantly more than CBT alone. The treatment showed promising results for a difficult-to-treat population of veterans with co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorder.
Researchers at SDSU found that brain connections in individuals with autism are more symmetrical across hemispheres, impacting cognitive development. This asymmetry may contribute to difficulties in assembling information into a cohesive narrative.
A randomized clinical trial found that individual cognitive processing therapy improved PTSD severity more than group therapy, with patients receiving individual sessions experiencing twice the improvement. Depression and suicidal ideation also improved equally with both forms of therapy.
A meta-analysis of 57 studies representing almost 21,000 patients reveals a pooled prevalence of depression in mild cognitive impairment patients at 32%, varying by source and setting. Further research on depression in MCI patients is warranted to inform clinical decisions and public health policy.
New technologies can assist in protecting older adults from financial fraud, including transactions via wearable technologies and bank cards with chip-and-signature security features. Professionals should be trained to recognize signs of cognitive decline and help clients plan for the possibility of future impairment.
The new guidelines provide a more precise definition of documented prenatal alcohol exposure and offer guidance on evaluating facial and physical deformities characteristic of FASD. The updated criteria aim to improve the accuracy of diagnoses and lead to early intervention for affected children.
A large-scale study found that individuals with lower vitamin D levels were twice as likely to exhibit significant cognitive decline over time. Vitamin D is also associated with a reduced risk of neuron damage and loss, suggesting its potential role in preventing cognitive decline.
Research found that retained metabolites in the blood are associated with impaired cognitive function in patients with kidney failure. The study suggests that interventions may be necessary to safeguard the mental health of these patients.
Scientists developed a novel peptide that protects cognitive function after mild traumatic brain injury by reducing inflammation, cell death, and cognitive impairments in mice. The peptide, called TXM-peptide, mimics the antioxidant activity of thioredoxin and inhibits the inflammatory pathway.
A dietary supplement containing 30 natural ingredients has shown promise in preventing and reversing massive brain cell loss in mice. The supplement was found to completely eliminate severe brain cell loss and abolish cognitive decline in mice with widespread brain damage.