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.

Aging tests disagree with one another

Whether it's an on-line quiz, a $300 chromosome test or an $800 blood panel, a lot of people seem to be interested in whether they're aging faster or slower than their chronological age would suggest.

16 Nov 2017

Research sheds new light on extensive effects of sleep on the brain

Although the general benefits of a good night's sleep are well established, one-third of American adults do not get a sufficient amount of sleep. Recent research sheds new light on the extensive effects of sleep on the brain, as well as the harms caused by sleep loss.

13 Nov 2017

Research suggests link between heart function and brain region critical for memory processing

Research by a team of Vanderbilt University Medical Center scientists suggests that older people whose hearts pump less blood have blood flow reductions in the temporal lobe regions of the brain, where Alzheimer's pathology first begins.

9 Nov 2017

UMD study provides important insights into early sensory development

Some expectant parents play classical music for their unborn babies, hoping to boost their children's cognitive capacity later in life.

7 Nov 2017

NIH awards grant to test whether anti-inflammatory diet can reduce Alzheimer's disease risk

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Albert Einstein College of Medicine nutrition scientist Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, Ph.D., R.D., a five-year, $4 million grant to test whether a diet rich in foods with anti-inflammatory properties can reduce cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease risk.

6 Nov 2017

Study finds link between marijuana use and cognitive dysfunction in people with HIV

Marijuana use is associated with cognitive dysfunction in people with HIV infection who have an alcohol or other drug use disorder, according to a new study from researchers at Boston University School of Public Health, Boston University School of Medicine, and Boston Medical Center.

1 Nov 2017

Early onset of drinking increases risk for alcohol-related neurocognitive vulnerabilities

Although drinking by U.S. adolescents has decreased during the last decade, more than 20 percent of U.S. high-school students continue to drink alcohol before the age of 14 years.

30 Oct 2017

Novartis PARADIGMS study shows safety and efficacy of new treatment in pediatric MS patients

Novartis today announced full results from the positive Phase III PARADIGMS study, investigating the safety and efficacy of Gilenya (fingolimod) vs. interferon beta-1a, in children and adolescents (ages 10 to 17) with multiple sclerosis (MS).

30 Oct 2017

Single infusion of wildtype HSPCs halts cellular damage caused by neuromuscular disorder in mice

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that a single infusion of wildtype hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) into a mouse model of Friedreich's ataxia (FA) measurably halted cellular damage caused by the degenerative disease.

25 Oct 2017

New study adds evidence to ‘selfish brain’ theory of human evolution

Human brains are expensive - metabolically speaking. It takes lot of energy to run our sophisticated grey matter, and that comes at an evolutionary cost.

23 Oct 2017

Web-based therapies increase likelihood of people with severe mental illness finding work

Patients living with severe mental illness are being helped to return to work courtesy of new research from Sydney's Westmead Institute for Medical Research.

11 Oct 2017

Brain wiring directly impacts performance of simple and complex tasks

The way a person's brain is "wired" directly impacts how well they perform simple and complex tasks, according to a new study from researchers at Rice University.

5 Oct 2017

Multiple sensory losses predict morbidity and mortality in older adults

The five senses are hearing, vision, smell, touch, and taste. When these senses begin to dim or are lost as we age, we face challenges dealing with everyday life. Losing one's senses can also cause serious health problems.

4 Oct 2017

Scientists awarded $1.3 million grant to study relationship between traumatic brain injury and dementia

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded a team of scientists and physicians from leading health care institutions across Phoenix a $1.3 million grant over three years to study traumatic brain injury and its relationship to dementia.

4 Oct 2017

Study identifies novel molecular interactions that explain cognitive defects in Parkinson's disease

A study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, from Nature publishing group, describes the identification of a novel molecular pathway that can constitute a therapeutic target for cognitive defects in Parkinson's disease.

25 Sep 2017

Study suggests frequent blood donation as feasible and safe option for donors

Giving blood more frequently – up to every 8 weeks for men and every 12 weeks for women – has no major side effects and could help to increase blood stocks, according to the first ever randomised trial of blood donation involving more than 45000 people in England published in The Lancet.

25 Sep 2017

Aging brain maintains healthy cognitive function by increasing bilateral communication

Increased communication between distant brain regions helps older adults compensate for the negative aspects of aging, reports a new study published this week in Human Brain Mapping.

15 Sep 2017

Hypometabolism in medial prefrontal areas linked to AD-related nutritional problems

A new study from the Multimodal Neuroimaging for AD Diagnosis study, which is a prospective study implemented at the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, provides that hypometabolism in the medial prefrontal areas is specifically associated with Alzheimer's disease-related nutritional problems, and decrease in fat mass may have a key role. This study is published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

15 Sep 2017

Parkinson’s UK comments on new drawing test to assess people with Parkinson’s disease

A paper published today in Frontiers in Neurology outlines a trial of a drawing test that could help assess people with Parkinson’s.

15 Sep 2017

New findings on functional connections within the brain may provide insights into psychiatric disorders

Ongoing advances in understanding the functional connections within the brain are producing exciting insights into how the brain circuits function together to support human behavior--and may lead to new discoveries in the development and treatment of psychiatric disorders, according to a review and update in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry.

1 Sep 2017

Cognitive Function News and Research

Further Reading

Aging tests disagree with one another

Research sheds new light on extensive effects of sleep on the brain

Research suggests link between heart function and brain region critical for memory processing

UMD study provides important insights into early sensory development

NIH awards grant to test whether anti-inflammatory diet can reduce Alzheimer's disease risk

Study finds link between marijuana use and cognitive dysfunction in people with HIV

Early onset of drinking increases risk for alcohol-related neurocognitive vulnerabilities

Novartis PARADIGMS study shows safety and efficacy of new treatment in pediatric MS patients

Single infusion of wildtype HSPCs halts cellular damage caused by neuromuscular disorder in mice

New study adds evidence to ‘selfish brain’ theory of human evolution

Web-based therapies increase likelihood of people with severe mental illness finding work

Brain wiring directly impacts performance of simple and complex tasks

Multiple sensory losses predict morbidity and mortality in older adults

Scientists awarded $1.3 million grant to study relationship between traumatic brain injury and dementia

Study identifies novel molecular interactions that explain cognitive defects in Parkinson's disease

Study suggests frequent blood donation as feasible and safe option for donors

Aging brain maintains healthy cognitive function by increasing bilateral communication

Hypometabolism in medial prefrontal areas linked to AD-related nutritional problems

Parkinson’s UK comments on new drawing test to assess people with Parkinson’s disease

New findings on functional connections within the brain may provide insights into psychiatric disorders

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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