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.

Bipolar brain changes both state- and trait-dependent

Some of the alterations in brain activation in patients with bipolar disorder are dependent on their current mood, study findings show.

17 Dec 2014

Genetic variations may contribute to treatment-related cognitive problems in children with ALL

Common variations in four genes related to brain inflammation or cells' response to damage from oxidation may contribute to the problems with memory, learning and other cognitive functions seen in children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to a study led by researchers from Boston Children's Hospital, The Children's Hospital at Montefiore, and Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.

10 Dec 2014

Abstinence-induced changes in the brain could help predict relapse in smokers

Quitting smoking sets off a series of changes in the brain that Penn Medicine researchers say may better identify smokers who will start smoking again—a prediction that goes above and beyond today's clinical or behavioral tools for assessing relapse risk.

5 Dec 2014

People diagnosed with diabetes in midlife experience cognitive problems later

People diagnosed with diabetes in midlife are more likely to experience significant memory and cognitive problems during the next 20 years than those with healthy blood sugar levels, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.

2 Dec 2014

Drinking 3-5 cups of coffee per day may protect against Alzheimer’s Disease

Drinking 3-5 cups of coffee per day may help to protect against Alzheimer’s Disease, according to research highlighted in an Alzheimer Europe session report published by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee, a not-for-profit organisation devoted to the study and disclosure of science related to coffee and health.

29 Nov 2014

Functional connectivity loss may underlie Parkinson’s cognitive decline

Patients with Parkinson’s disease have deceases in functional connectivity over time and these correlate closely with cognitive decline, research shows.

27 Nov 2014

New guideline now available to help prevent, treat delirium in older patients

A new guideline is available to help health care providers prevent and treat one of the most common postoperative complications in older patients, delirium, which is an episode of sudden confusion.

27 Nov 2014

Researchers identify mechanism linked to brain damage

Researchers have discovered a mechanism linked to the brain damage often suffered by stroke victims--and are now searching for drugs to block it.

27 Nov 2014

Adults diagnosed with retinoblastoma as infants perform better on tasks, study finds

Most long-term survivors of retinoblastoma, particularly those who had been diagnosed with tumors by their first birthdays, have normal cognitive function as adults, according to a St. Jude Children's Research Hospital study. The research, which appears in the current issue of the journal Cancer, found that the vast majority of survivors work full time, live independently and fulfill other milestones of adult life.

25 Nov 2014

Scientists reveal mechanisms that create 'Mexican waves' in brain

Scientists have revealed the mechanisms that enable certain brain cells to persuade others to create 'Mexican waves' linked with cognitive function.

19 Nov 2014

Study reveals association between high burden of AFib and lower cognitive function

iRhythm Technologies, Inc. announced today that study results presented during the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions showed an association between a high burden of atrial fibrillation (AFib) and lower cognitive function, specifically executive and verbal function.

18 Nov 2014

Smart drug Modafinil can impair cognitive performance in healthy students

It is claimed one in five students have taken the 'smart' drug Modafinil to boost their ability to study and improve their chances of exam success.

14 Nov 2014

Pathological guilt in preschool years linked to brain changes, increases risk for recurrent depression

In school-age children previously diagnosed with depression as preschoolers, a key brain region involved in emotion is smaller than in their peers who were not depressed, scientists have shown.

14 Nov 2014

FDA accepts Amgen's evolocumab BLA for review

Amgen today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review Amgen's Biologics License Application (BLA) for evolocumab for the treatment of high cholesterol.

11 Nov 2014

Neuronetrix selected to support upcoming ANAVEX 2-73 Phase 2a clinical trial

Neuronetrix has been selected by Anavex Life Sciences Corp. to support the upcoming Phase 2a clinical trial for ANAVEX 2-73, a symptomatic and potentially disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Neuronetrix will be utilizing their COGNISION System to measure and analyze cognitive biomarkers in study participants.

7 Nov 2014

Accumulated environmental risks have substantial impact on schizophrenia

Accumulation of environmental risk factors has a “huge” effect on age at schizophrenia onset, German researchers report.

31 Oct 2014

High risk for congenital heart defects in Down syndrome provides tool to identify changes in genes

Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal abnormality in humans, involving a third copy of all or part of chromosome 21. In addition to intellectual disability, individuals with Down syndrome have a high risk of congenital heart defects. However, not all people with Down syndrome have them – about half have structurally normal hearts.

25 Oct 2014

Cannabis use during adolescence: an interview with Dr Edmund Silins

We know quite a lot about the effects of cannabis on the body and brain but there is still a need to better understand its impact on the health, well-being and development of long term users.

20 Oct 2014

NeuroSigma, VA partner to evaluate eTNS system for TBI patients in Phase I clinical trial

NeuroSigma, Inc., a California-based life sciences company focused on commercialization of its non-invasive Monarch eTNS System for the treatment of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, today announced that it has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Veterans Affairs for a clinical trial to evaluate the benefits of non-invasive, external Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (eTNS) for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a Phase I clinical trial.

15 Oct 2014

Sanitation programme in India increases latrine coverage, not health

A sanitation programme currently being widely implemented in low-income communities in India significantly increases latrine coverage but does not actually improve health, a study involving 100 rural villages, published in The Lancet Global Health has found.

10 Oct 2014