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.

Mental recovery after COVID lags behind physical recovery

New research finds that people with COVID-like symptoms returned to optimal physical well-being an average of three months after infection, but took up to nine months to return to top mental well-being.

10 Jun 2025

Research reveals the brain’s hidden shield against aging and neurodegeneration

In a compelling Genomic Press Interview published today in Brain Medicine, Sophia Shi, PhD, unveils her pioneering research that fundamentally changes our understanding of brain aging and opens revolutionary therapeutic pathways for Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative conditions.

10 Jun 2025

Creatine offers broad health benefits beyond fitness

Creatine, the supplement popular with athletes for its ability to help build strength and power, is increasingly being recognized for its broad health benefits.

9 Jun 2025

Late-life mood disorders may signal neurodegenerative diseases

Depression and bipolar disorder of late onset may represent more than just mental health conditions. Growing evidence suggests these late-life mood disorders (LLMDs) could be not merely risk factors, but rather early warning signs of neurodegenerative diseases like dementia, even when they appear years before memory loss or other cognitive symptoms become apparent.

9 Jun 2025

New biological age clock estimates how well someone is aging

A team of international researchers has developed a new biological age "clock" that estimates how well someone is aging, not just how "old" they or their various organs might be.

5 Jun 2025

Alzheimer's gene therapy could help protect the brain from damage and preserve cognitive function

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have developed a gene therapy for Alzheimer's disease that could help protect the brain from damage and preserve cognitive function.

5 Jun 2025

Integrating discoveries with translational science to transform Alzheimer's care

At the 12th annual Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute Symposium, scientists and clinicians shared their latest research which is advancing how Alzheimer's disease is diagnosed and treated.

4 Jun 2025

Obesity associated with anxiety and cognitive impairment in mice

With rates of obesity and anxiety both on the rise-especially among younger Americans-new research suggests that the two conditions may be connected through interactions between the gut and the brain.

1 Jun 2025

Sleep disorders predict dementia risk years before diagnosis, study shows

Researchers analyzed health records from over 1 million people in Finland, Wales, and the UK to assess the long-term impact of sleep disorders on neurodegenerative diseases. They found that diagnosed sleep disorders can predict Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementia risk up to 15 years before symptoms, regardless of genetic predisposition.

28 May 2025

Traditional South Asian medicinal plants show promise in addressing memory disorders

The growing global population of elderly individuals has led to a dramatic rise in chronic diseases, including neurocognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.

27 May 2025

Blood test pinpoints early Alzheimer’s risk with high accuracy

Researchers evaluated a fully automated plasma biomarker panel to detect early amyloid-β accumulation in cognitively unimpaired adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Plasma p-tau217/Aβ42 emerged as the most robust and accurate blood-based marker for identifying preclinical amyloid pathology.

26 May 2025

New neuroscientific approaches help overcome unhealthy eating habits

A scientific team from the Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center at the University of Granada (UGR) is studying the human difficulties that prevent people from following healthy lifestyles.

26 May 2025

Muscle quality linked to cognitive health in middle age

Over the past decade, much research has focused on the connection between skeletal muscle health and cognitive disorders.

23 May 2025

Mild winter temperatures offer surprising mental health benefits

Higher ambient temperatures during the cold season were linked to reduced stress, improved life satisfaction, better self-reported health, and less loneliness in a large Swiss population study. While effects were modest at the individual level, they highlight the broader mental health impacts of seasonal temperature changes.

22 May 2025

New Alzheimer's drug candidate reduces toxic protein and improves memory in mice models

As researchers work to improve treatment of Alzheimer's disease, new research by UCLA Health identified a candidate drug that reduces levels of a toxic form of a protein in the brain caused by the disease and improved memory in mice by boosting production of a protective protein.

20 May 2025

Post-Intensive Care Syndrome patients experience long-term deficits in cognitive and physical function

More than half of ICU survivors may experience Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS), which involves new or worsening physical, psychological, or cognitive impairments after a critical illness.

20 May 2025

Midlife carbohydrate quality linked to healthier aging in women

Intakes of dietary fiber, high-quality and total carbohydrates in midlife were favorably linked to healthy aging and other positive health outcomes in older women, according to a new study by researchers from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

16 May 2025

Exploring how play affects cognitive functioning in children with autism

Step into physical therapy professor Anjana Bhat's colorful Move 2 Learn Innovation Lab on the University of Delaware's Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus, and you may see children moving to the beat or leaping over structures as part of an obstacle course.

12 May 2025

Delayed puberty in boys raises risk of type 2 diabetes later in life, study shows

A large Israeli study found that boys who experience delayed puberty are significantly more likely to develop type 2 diabetes in early adulthood. This increased risk persists even after accounting for body weight, socio-economic status, and other confounding factors.

10 May 2025

Growing up poor leaves lasting health scars, researchers find

A large cross-national study across 29 high-income countries found that childhood poverty significantly increases the risk of frailty in older age. The association persists even after accounting for education, wealth, and other life-course factors.

5 May 2025