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.

Liver alterations associated with MASLD can directly affect the brain and behavior

A multidisciplinary research team has discovered that liver alterations associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD) can directly cause cognitive and neurological impairments, and that these effects can be reversed by a therapy exclusively targeting the liver.

30 Oct 2025

Clinical Frailty Scale can quickly predict mortality in patients with heart failure

Frailty is closely linked to adverse outcomes in older adults, particularly those with heart failure. Numerous epidemiologic studies show that frailty has important prognostic value in this population, underscoring the need for routine assessment.

28 Oct 2025

Reducing prescriptions of sleep drugs in older adults could provide health and economic benefits

Millions of older Americans suffering from insomnia regularly use prescription sleep medications, despite the risk of serious side effects-such as falls, broken bones

28 Oct 2025

Researchers reveal how maternal stress reshapes fetal growth and brain development

Maternal stress, encompassing physical, emotional, and psychological distress, remains a widespread yet underestimated risk during pregnancy.

24 Oct 2025

Study offers a nuanced understanding of how bedroom ventilation affects sleep health

Good sleep is key to good health, overall well-being, and optimal cognitive function. Disturbed sleep or lack of sleep can lead to various health issues such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and other morbidity, including Alzheimer's disease and obesity.

21 Oct 2025

Molecular evidence connects higher childhood cognitive function to longer lifespan

Researchers led by Dr. W. David Hill at the University of Edinburgh have identified a significant genetic correlation between childhood cognitive function and longevity, providing the first molecular genetic evidence that intelligence measured in youth shares genetic factors with lifespan.

21 Oct 2025

Nemours neurologist wins major NIH award to study hippocampal dysfunction in brain disorders

Rodney Scott, MBChB, MRCP, DipStat, PhD, Division Chief of Neurology, Nemours Children's Health, Delaware Valley, has received a prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director's Transformative Research Award.

15 Oct 2025

Quitting smoking linked to slower memory decline in midlife and older adults

The study, published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, looked at data from 9,436 people aged 40 or over (with an average age of 58) in 12 countries, comparing cognitive test results among people who quit smoking with those of a matched control group who kept smoking.

13 Oct 2025

Study offers new models for understanding the causes of chemo brain

Cancer is a challenging enough diagnosis, but many patients are dealt a second blow, even as they heal: "chemo brain."

13 Oct 2025

Socially enriched environments linked to better memory and cognitive flexibility in aged rats

A new research paper was published in Volume 17, Issue 9 of Aging-US on August 22, 2025, titled, "The impact of long-term social housing on biconditional association task performance and neuron ensembles in the anterior cingulate cortex and the hippocampal CA3 region of aged rats."

9 Oct 2025

Nanotechnology breakthrough reverses Alzheimer’s disease in mice

A research team co-led by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and West China Hospital Sichuan University (WCHSU), working with partners in the UK, has demonstrated a nanotechnology strategy that reverses Alzheimer's disease in mice.

6 Oct 2025

Brain imaging reveals structural and functional differences in withdrawn adolescents

Adolescence is a period of social reorientation: a shift from a world centered on parents and family to one shaped by peers, schools, and broader networks. This expansion is critical for healthy development, but it also heightens susceptibility to social stressors.

3 Oct 2025

Income inequality in society associated with structural changes in the developing brain

Income inequality in society has been linked to structural changes in the brains of children who go on to experience poorer mental health.

30 Sep 2025

Scientists explore how dopamine shapes myelin in social isolation

Scientists know that social isolation can alter brain structure and lead to the breakdown of myelin, the fatty coating that insulates nerve fibers in the brain. But they don't yet know exactly how or why it happens.

25 Sep 2025

Study identifies microstructural brain changes from heading in amateur soccer athletes

A brain imaging technique developed by Columbia researchers has identified areas in the brain's cerebral cortex-just behind the forehead-that are most damaged by the repetitive impacts from heading a soccer ball.

18 Sep 2025

Tai chi improves memory and sleep in older adults with type 2 diabetes

A 12-week randomized trial found that remotely delivered Tai Chi significantly enhanced cognitive performance and sleep quality in older adults with Type 2 Diabetes. These gains surpassed those from supervised fitness walking or usual care, without increasing adverse events.

17 Sep 2025

Lifestyle changes show promise in preventing cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease

An estimated 7.2 million Americans over age 65 currently live with Alzheimer's disease (AD). That number is expected to nearly double to 13.8 million by 2060.

16 Sep 2025

Boosting PI31 to restore synaptic function and prevent neurodegeneration

One fundamental feature of neurodegenerative diseases is a breakdown in communication. Even before brain cells die, the delicate machinery that keeps neurons in touch-by clearing away protein waste at the synapses-starts to fail.

16 Sep 2025

Gestational diabetes poses substantial cognitive dysfunction risks for both mothers and offspring

A new synthesis of global evidence finds that experiencing gestational diabetes during pregnancy is linked with a decline in intellectual function among mothers, and may increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

15 Sep 2025

Review highlights immunomodulatory and therapeutic effects of ginseng

Ginseng has long been used in traditional medicine to replenish Qi and address deficiency syndromes, often manifesting as fatigue and immune compromise.

13 Sep 2025