Cognitive Function News and Research

RSS

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.

Georgia Tech study unveils music's role in modulating memory and emotion

The soundtrack of this story begins with a vaguely recognizable and pleasant groove. But if I stop writing and just listen for a second, the music reveals itself completely.

29 Aug 2024

Study reveals the role of blood clotting in COVID-19

In a study that reshapes what we know about COVID-19 and its most perplexing symptoms, scientists have discovered that the blood coagulation protein fibrin causes the unusual clotting and inflammation that have become hallmarks of the disease, while also suppressing the body's ability to clear the virus.

29 Aug 2024

Researchers identify key cellular interactions driving Alzheimer's and aging

An analysis of more than 1.6 million brain cells from older adults has captured the cellular changes that occur in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, potentially revealing new routes for preventing the most common cause of dementia in older individuals.

28 Aug 2024

Brief periods of light-intensity exercise can boost children's cerebral blood flow

Cognitive functions, also known as intellectual functions, encompass thinking, understanding, memory, language, computation, and judgment, and are performed in the cerebrum.

26 Aug 2024

Kynurenine pathway blockade shows promise for restoring brain metabolism in Alzheimer's

Among the many ways neuroscientists think Alzheimer's disease may strip away brain function is by disrupting the glucose metabolism needed to fuel the healthy brain.

22 Aug 2024

Egg consumption linked to slower cognitive decline in women

The effects of egg consumption on cognitive function in older adults.

22 Aug 2024

Anti-inflammatory diets could lower dementia risk among older individuals with cardiometabolic disorders

Researchers investigated whether anti-inflammatory diets support cognitive functions among cardiometabolic disease (CMD) patients.

15 Aug 2024

Can psychological wellbeing predict cognitive impairment?

Whether changes in psychological wellbeing trajectories precede mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.

14 Aug 2024

Study highlights predictors of cognitive decline in early Alzheimer's disease

Older age, female sex, irregular heart rhythms, and daily activity levels can help to predict how much Alzheimer's Disease patients' cognitive function will decline, and how much they will depend on their caregivers over the next two years.

14 Aug 2024

New findings reveal how serotonin shapes behavior in negative situations

Researchers increased synaptic serotonin through a selective serotonin-releasing agent, fenfluramine, to investigate its impact on human behavior.

14 Aug 2024

Menopause linked to increased risk of cognitive issues

With more than 24 million people globally living with dementia without a cure in sight, there is a lot of focus on ways to prevent and delay cognitive impairment. A new study suggests that severe menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and depression can negatively affect cognitive function in postmenopausal women. Results of the study are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society.

14 Aug 2024

Decline in psychological wellbeing may signal early mild cognitive impairment

Feeling that your life lacks purpose and that there are few opportunities for personal growth in older age may precede the development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a frequent precursor of dementia, suggests research published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

13 Aug 2024

Yogurt with probiotics and honey boosts gut bacteria but no digestive or cognitive benefits

A study in The Journal of Nutrition found that yogurt with B. animalis and honey increases probiotic levels but doesn't affect digestion, cognition, or mood.

6 Aug 2024

Accelerated neuronal development linked to intellectual disabilities and autism

The mechanisms underlying intellectual disabilities or autism remain largely unknown. Researchers in the labs of Prof. Pierre Vanderhaeghen and Prof. Vincent Bonin at the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research and NERF have discovered that mutations in a gene called SYNGAP1 disrupt the prolonged development of human neurons, which is thought to be essential for normal cognitive function.

6 Aug 2024

Omega-3 fatty acids show potential in protecting brain health in older adults

Researchers assess the role of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in reducing white matter lesion accumulation and neuronal integrity degeneration.

6 Aug 2024

Researchers receive $9.5M to study polyphenols' impact on cognitive health

UCLA Health researchers, in collaboration with researchers from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, have received $9.5 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with support from European funding agencies - The Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and the Public Health Agency Health & Social Care (HSC) - to study the effects of polyphenols on cognitive health and the brain-gut microbiome system.

5 Aug 2024