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.

Research provides insights into mechanisms governing healthy longevity

Keio University Global Research Institute, Tokyo publishes the January 2018 issue of KGRI Research Frontiers that includes researcher video profiles of Keio University researchers and research highlights from high impact publications including 'Regenerative medicine needs collaboration in and out of science in order to face current and future challenges; ‘Does eating fish protect you from depression?’; ‘Insights into the molecular mechanisms leading to kidney dysfunction in diabetic patients’; and ‘Ageing to 100 and beyond: Insights from demographic, phenotypic and genetic studies.

12 Jan 2018

Impact of craniosacral therapy on concussion and mild TBI symptoms among football players

This invited commentary references a preliminary study in which the integrative medicine technique known as CranioSacral Therapy was tested on a group of ex-National Football League players who showed significant improvement in range of motion, pain, sleep, and cognitive function.

10 Jan 2018

Malnutrition remains underdiagnosed, undertreated for decades among hospitalized patients

Malnutrition among hospitalized patients remains a serious issue that has been underdiagnosed and undertreated for decades.

9 Jan 2018

Adequate intake of choline during pregnancy could provide cognitive benefits for offspring

When expectant mothers consume sufficient amounts of the nutrient choline during pregnancy, their offspring gain enduring cognitive benefits, a new Cornell University study suggests.

4 Jan 2018

New AAN guideline: Exercising twice a week may improve memory in people with MCI

Exercising twice a week may improve thinking ability and memory in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a guideline released by the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Dec 2017

Scientists elucidate why exercise slows progression of Parkinson's disease

While vigorous exercise on a treadmill has been shown to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease in patients, the molecular reasons behind it have remained a mystery.

22 Dec 2017

UTA researcher working to show potential link between blast-like trauma and neurological disorders

Efficient communication between neurons in the brain is the key to achieving cognitive function. A University of Texas at Arlington researcher is working to determine how mechanical forces such as blasts or repeated blows to the head could damage neurons and lead to neurological disorders.

22 Dec 2017

Continuous movement while sitting may increase metabolic rate, study says

A new study suggests that continuous movement while sitting may increase metabolic rate more than standing at a desk.

21 Dec 2017

Walking more than 4,000 steps a day can improve attention, mental skills in older adults

Walking more than 4,000 steps a day can improve attention and mental skills in adults ages 60 and older, according to UCLA research published December 12 in a preprint edition of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

19 Dec 2017

Chemical found in marijuana could help HIV patients maintain their mental function

A chemical found in marijuana, known as tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, has been found to potentially slow the process in which mental decline can occur in up to 50 percent of HIV patients, says a new Michigan State University study.

12 Dec 2017

Study finds rural-urban disparities in prevalence of dementia and cognitive impairment among seniors

Americans who live in urban areas tend to be healthier than individuals living in rural settings. While this healthcare disparity has been examined for more than a decade, researchers present the first nationally representative study to find that dementia and cognitive impairment have consistently been more prevalent among rural-dwelling seniors than urban dwelling seniors.

12 Dec 2017

Butler Hospital launches international Alzheimer's disease prevention study

The Memory and Aging Program at Butler Hospital, a member of Care New England and a major teaching affiliate of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, enrolled one of the initial participants in an international Alzheimer's disease (AD) prevention study.

11 Dec 2017

Study identifies mechanism that could explain early link between sound input and cognitive function

Some expectant parents play classical music for their unborn babies, hoping to boost their children's cognitive capacity. While some research supports a link between prenatal sound exposure and improved brain function, scientists had not identified any structures responsible for this link in the developing brain.

7 Dec 2017

Study establishes link between working memory and physical health, lifestyle choices

Mount Sinai researchers have found a positive relationship between the brain network associated with working memory - the ability to store and process information relevant to the task at hand - and healthy traits such as higher physical endurance and better cognitive function.

5 Dec 2017

Combining virtual reality and treadmill training improves neuroplasticity in Parkinson's patients

A new Tel Aviv University study suggests that a therapy that combines Virtual Reality and treadmill exercise dramatically lowers the incidence of falling among Parkinson's patients by changing the brain's behavior and promoting beneficial brain plasticity, even in patients with neurodegenerative disease.

28 Nov 2017

Deep brain stimulation at low frequencies improves cognitive performance of PD patients

A multidisciplinary neuroscience study using rare, intraoperative brain recordings suggests that low frequency stimulation of a deep brain region may be able to improve cognitive function in patients with Parkinson's disease.

28 Nov 2017

People who use indoor firing ranges at risk of lead poisoning

Indoor firing ranges may put hobby shooters, law enforcement officers and employees at risk from lead exposure, particularly if proper dust-control measures are not in place.

22 Nov 2017

Heart disease risk factors linked to walking difficulties in people under age of 78

Problems with balance, walking speed, and muscle strength become more common as we age, and can lead to disability. In fact, studies show that for older adults, having a slower walking speed can help predict chronic illness, hospitalization, and even death.

21 Nov 2017

Babies know more than we think they do find researchers

Researchers have found that babies are capable of understanding a few words and their language development might be occurring earlier than we believed. The team used eye-tracking software to see that the babies recognized simple words like car, juice, stroller etc.

20 Nov 2017

UZH leads Europe's largest research on aging

What began in 2012 is now entering its final stages: Europe's largest study on aging. The international research network behind the DO-HEALTH study is led by Heike Bischoff-Ferrari, Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Aging Research at the University of Zurich, and Head of the Department of Geriatrics at the UniversityHospital Zurich and the Waid City Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland.