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.

Study uses novel technology to map the brain circuitry of spirituality

Scientists have long suspected that religiosity and spirituality could be mapped to specific brain circuits, but the location of those circuits remains unknown. Now, a new study using novel technology and the human connectome, a map of neural connections, has identified a brain circuit that seems to mediate that aspect of our personality. The work appears in Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier.

31 Aug 2021

Cognitive function of older adults could be improved through multidomain lifestyle interventions

Aging-US published "Facility-based and home-based multidomain interventions including cognitive training, exercise, diet, vascular risk management, and motivation for older adults: a randomized controlled feasibility trial" which reported that in an outcome assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial, participants without dementia and with one or more modifiable dementia risk factors, aged 60-79 years, were randomly assigned to the facility-based MI, the home-based MI, or the control group receiving general health advice.

28 Aug 2021

Aerobic exercise combined with tDCS improves the gait of Parkinson's patients

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can increase the benefits of aerobic exercise and improve the gait of patients with Parkinson's disease immediately after a session. Step time variability decreases, reaction time shortens, and executive control of gait is enhanced.

25 Aug 2021

Study shows higher risk of sarcopenia among older adults who are underweight and lack exercise

Analysis of medical data from around 1800 65-year-old residents of Kobe, a large Japanese city, has shown that at least 3% have possible sarcopenia (*1), revealing that the risks are higher in those who are underweight and don't exercise enough.

24 Aug 2021

Scientists identify the main components driving amyloid beta-associated synapse degeneration

Healthy adult brains are endowed with a vast number of synapses, structures that relay signals across nerve cells to enable communications, information processing and storage throughout the nervous system.

18 Aug 2021

Study finds link between physical activity and better cognition among breast cancer patients

A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found a strong association between high levels of physical activity and the ability to maintain cognitive function among breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy.

18 Aug 2021

Research reveals link between widespread pain and heightened risk of dementia, stroke

Widespread pain is linked to a heightened risk of all types of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, and stroke finds research.

17 Aug 2021

Having a good listener is associated with greater cognitive resilience

Supportive social interactions in adulthood are important for your ability to stave off cognitive decline despite brain aging or neuropathological changes such as those present in Alzheimer's disease, a new study finds.

16 Aug 2021

Children in poverty have smaller volumes of certain subcortical brain regions, study finds

Children in poverty are more likely to have cognitive and behavioral difficulties than their better-off peers. Plenty of past research has looked into the physical effects of childhood poverty, or documented mental health disparities between socioeconomic classes.

16 Aug 2021

Research introduces novel approach to reverse brain aging via gut microbes

Research from APC Microbiome Ireland at University College Cork published today in the leading international scientific journal Nature Aging introduces a novel approach to reverse aspects of aging-related deterioration in the brain and cognitive function via the microbes in the gut.

9 Aug 2021

Post-COVID-19 neurological sequalae are not due to brain injury, study shows

In a recent study from University of Gothenburg, it has been shown that all participants achieve normalization of CNS injury biomarkers, regardless of previous disease severity or persistent neurological symptoms. Indicating that post-COVID-19 neurological sequalae are not due to active brain injury.

5 Aug 2021

Latin American and Caribbean research contributions to tackle challenges posed by brain diseases

Every year there are nearly ten million new cases of dementia globally, of which Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common form, accounting for around 60-70% of cases.

2 Aug 2021

Global prevalence of dementia estimated to increase to more than 152 million by 2050

Positive trends in global education access are expected to decrease dementia prevalence worldwide by 6.2 million cases by the year 2050.

27 Jul 2021

Air quality improvement linked with reduced risk of dementia

Improving air quality may improve cognitive function and reduce dementia risk, according to several studies reported today at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2021 in Denver and virtually.

26 Jul 2021

$Cognitive decline linked with bone loss and increased fracture risk in women$

Cognitive decline linked with bone loss and increased fracture risk in women

New research published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research has found that cognitive decline is linked with accelerated bone loss and an increased fracture risk in women.

21 Jul 2021

$Cognitive decline increases future fracture risk in women$

Cognitive decline increases future fracture risk in women

Researchers led by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have discovered a link between cognitive decline and a faster rate of bone loss, and found that cognitive decline over five years increased future fracture risk in women. The association between cognitive decline and bone loss was weaker in men.

21 Jul 2021

Modular network organization critical for persistent neural activity and brain communication

Recall a phone number or directions just recited and your brain will be actively communicating across many regions. It is thought that working memory relies on interactions between these regions, but how these brain areas interact and properly represent memory has remained a mystery.

12 Jul 2021

People's desire to live into older ages reduced by hypothetical adverse life scenarios

A new study sheds light on how the specter of dementia and chronic pain reduce people's desire to live into older ages.

12 Jul 2021

Digital technologies amplify the ability to detect subtle differences in cognitive function tests

During neuropsychological assessments, participants complete tasks designed to study memory and thinking. Based on their performance, the participants receive a score that researchers use to evaluate how well specific domains of their cognition are functioning.

6 Jul 2021

Research highlights long-lasting effects of childhood reading problems on cognitive skills

Reading difficulties in childhood are linked to poorer cognitive skills in older age and a greater likelihood of registering scores indicative of dementia risk, suggests research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

2 Jul 2021