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.

Newly identified microglia subtype offers protection against Alzheimer’s disease

In Alzheimer's disease, the leading cause of dementia, microglia-the brain's immune defenders-can act as both protectors and aggressors, shaping how the disease progresses.

5 Nov 2025

New review illuminates the intricate connections between gut microbiota and sleep regulation

A comprehensive review published today in Brain Medicine illuminates the intricate connections between gut microbiota and sleep regulation, establishing the microbiota-gut-brain axis as a critical pathway in understanding and potentially treating sleep disorders.

4 Nov 2025

New WashU center aims to transform disease diagnosis through AI imaging

Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR) at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is establishing a new center dedicated to developing AI-based imaging tools to improve the diagnosis and precision treatment of cancers, cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases and numerous other conditions.

3 Nov 2025

Skipping breakfast has little impact on mental performance, research shows

Skipping breakfast or practicing intermittent fasting is unlikely to cloud most adults' thinking in the short term, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

3 Nov 2025

Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells promote blood vessel growth after stroke

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, affecting 1 in 4 people during their lifetime. Stroke happens when blood vessels in the brain get clogged or damaged, impairing blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain, which leads to death of neurons and other brain cells.

30 Oct 2025

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

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