Cognitive Function News and Research

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Cognition is a concept used in different ways by different disciplines, but is generally accepted to mean the process of thought. For example, in psychology and cognitive science it refers to an information processing view of an individual's psychological functions.

Exposure to common infections linked to memory and brain function

Exposure to common infections is linked to memory and brain function - even if the infections never made you ill, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2014.

13 Feb 2014

Researchers examine link between gender and genetic disorder

A genetic disorder that affects about 1 in every 2,500 births can cause a bewildering array of clinical problems, including brain tumors, impaired vision, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, heart defects and bone deformities. The symptoms and their severity vary among patients affected by this condition, known as neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).

9 Feb 2014

Hot flashes, depression and anxiety affect thinking skills of midlife women with HIV

Hot flashes, depression, and most of all, anxiety, affect the thinking skills of midlife women with HIV, so screening for and treating their anxiety may be especially important in helping them function, according to a study just published online in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).

9 Feb 2014

Blood pressure lowering linked with reduced risk for cognitive decline in patients with T2DM

Intensive blood pressure and cholesterol lowering was not associated with reduced risk for diabetes-related cognitive decline in older patients with long-standing type 2 diabetes mellitus, according to a study by Jeff D. Williamson, M.D., M.H.S., of the Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, N.C., and colleagues.

4 Feb 2014

Increased inflammation following infection impairs brain's ability to form spatial memories

Increased inflammation following an infection impairs the brain's ability to form spatial memories - according to new research. The impairment results from a decrease in glucose metabolism in the brain's memory centre, disrupting the neural circuits involved in learning and memory.

25 Jan 2014

Schizophrenia cognition tool promising in bipolar disorder patients

The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia may be an appropriate tool for measuring cognition in elderly patients with bipolar disorder, a pilot study suggests.

22 Jan 2014

EnVivo Pharmaceuticals starts encenicline Phase 3 study in patients with Alzheimer's disease

EnVivo Pharmaceuticals, a company dedicated to developing a broad range of novel therapies for central nervous system diseases, today announced it has initiated COGNITIV AD, a Phase 3 clinical program evaluating its novel alpha-7 (α7) potentiator, encenicline-hydrochloride (EVP-6124), in patients with Alzheimer's disease. The program is being conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment agreement with the FDA.

22 Jan 2014

Higher vitamin D levels linked with better cognition and less depression in PD patients

A new study exploring vitamin D levels in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) opens up the possibility of a new avenue of early intervention that may delay or prevent the onset of cognitive impairment and depression. The findings are published in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease.

16 Jan 2014

Heavy drinking associated with faster decline in cognitive function in middle-aged men

Middle-aged men who drink more than 36 grams of alcohol, or two and a half US drinks per day, may speed their memory loss by up to six years later on, according to a study published in the January 15, 2014, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

16 Jan 2014

At-home paper test can help spot early symptoms of cognitive issues

The Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE test), which takes less than 15 minutes to complete, is a reliable tool for evaluating cognitive abilities. Findings by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center confirming the feasibility and efficiency of the tool for community screening large numbers of people are published in the January issue of The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences.

13 Jan 2014

Negative symptoms and cognition ‘relatively independent’ in schizophrenia

Diminished expression, a core negative symptom in people with schizophrenia, is significantly correlated with an array of cognitive functions, research by a Hong Kong team shows.

3 Jan 2014

Treating depression fails to reverse cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder

Successful treatment of depression with total sleep deprivation does not improve neuropsychologic deficits in bipolar patients, despite improving clinical symptoms, Italian researchers report.

24 Dec 2013

Most dementia people living at home have multiple unmet health and welfare needs

Most people with dementia who live at home have multiple unmet health and welfare needs, any number of which could jeopardize their ability to remain home for as long as they desire, new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

20 Dec 2013

Toddlers’ bedtime resistance may contribute to sleep problems

The bedtime you select for your toddler may be out of sync with his or her internal body clock, which can contribute to difficulties for youngsters attempting to settle in for the night, according to a new University of Colorado Boulder study.

17 Dec 2013

Self-affirmation can improve cognitive function, behavioral outcomes of people in poverty

For people in poverty, remembering better times - such as past success - improves brain functioning by several IQ points and increases their willingness to seek help from crucial aid services, a new study finds.

17 Dec 2013

Targacept reports top-line results from TC-5619 Phase 2b trial for negative symptoms in schizophrenia

Targacept, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel NNR Therapeutics, today announced top-line results from a Phase 2b clinical trial of TC-5619 as an augmentation therapy for the treatment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

17 Dec 2013

Cognitive Function News and Research

Further Reading

Exposure to common infections linked to memory and brain function

Researchers examine link between gender and genetic disorder

Hot flashes, depression and anxiety affect thinking skills of midlife women with HIV

Blood pressure lowering linked with reduced risk for cognitive decline in patients with T2DM

Increased inflammation following infection impairs brain's ability to form spatial memories

Schizophrenia cognition tool promising in bipolar disorder patients

EnVivo Pharmaceuticals starts encenicline Phase 3 study in patients with Alzheimer's disease

Higher vitamin D levels linked with better cognition and less depression in PD patients

Heavy drinking associated with faster decline in cognitive function in middle-aged men

At-home paper test can help spot early symptoms of cognitive issues

Negative symptoms and cognition ‘relatively independent’ in schizophrenia

Treating depression fails to reverse cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder

Most dementia people living at home have multiple unmet health and welfare needs

Toddlers’ bedtime resistance may contribute to sleep problems

Self-affirmation can improve cognitive function, behavioral outcomes of people in poverty

Targacept reports top-line results from TC-5619 Phase 2b trial for negative symptoms in schizophrenia

Low vitamin D a consequence not a cause of ill health

‘Window for intervention’ to forestall hypertensive cognitive decline

New study provides a set of tools for measuring age in all dimensions

Otsuka, Lundbeck to develop investigational vaccine candidate for Alzheimer's disease

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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