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.

Proteins that unlock the mystery of over 100 brain diseases

An Anglo-American team of researchers have made a medical breakthrough after identifying a large collection of nerve proteins that are involved in around 130 brain diseases including Alzheimer’s and autism.

20 Dec 2010

Gene variant affects brain function long before brain begins accumulating amyloid: Study

People with a known, high risk for Alzheimer's disease develop abnormal brain function even before the appearance of telltale amyloid plaques that are characteristic of the disease, according to a new study.

17 Dec 2010

New hypothesis emphasizes the value of anti-inflammatory approaches to prevent Alzheimer's disease

Karl Herrup thinks that the national research effort to understand Alzheimer-s disease has gone about as far as it can go with its current theories.

15 Dec 2010

Study: HUCBs boost survival and maturation of hippocampal neurons

Laboratory culture studies examining the activity of human umbilical cord blood cells on experimental models of central nervous system aging, injury and disease, have shown that HUCBs provide a 'trophic effect' that enhances survival and maturation of hippocampal neurons harvested from both young and old laboratory animals.

15 Dec 2010

Strength training exercise program for seniors provides sustained cognitive, economic benefits

A one-year follow-up study on seniors who participated in a strength training exercise program shows sustained cognitive benefits as well as savings for the healthcare system. The research, conducted at the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility at Vancouver Coastal Health and the University of British Columbia, is published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

14 Dec 2010

Alzheimer’s research update

Alzheimer’s disease researchers have been working for a while with a small, sticky protein fragment, beta amyloid, that clumps into balls in the brains of patients with this degenerative neurological disease. It is a normal protein that is present in every normal brain but in Alzheimer’s it starts to accumulate into these balls or plaques. On buildup of amyloid symptoms of the disease appear.

13 Dec 2010

Ginseng may improve thinking ability, but more research is needed

Many people believe that the popular herb ginseng can improve thinking ability and prevent or even treat dementia. However, a comprehensive review of research failed to find convincing evidence of these benefits.

8 Dec 2010

Cognitively-impaired human research subjects need better protection

Practices for protecting human research subjects with Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions that make them incapable of giving informed consent are widely variable and in need of more concrete ethical and legal guidance, according to a study in IRB: Ethics & Human Research.

7 Dec 2010

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals announces US patent for cognition enhancement

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE Amex: RNN), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing potential best in class oncology and CNS therapeutics, today announced that the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent 7,842,683 entitled, "Neurotherapeutic Compositions and Methods."

7 Dec 2010

Research highlighting treatment for pediatric SCD, malaria presented at ASH 2010

Red blood cells have the very important role of carrying oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body; therefore, disorders that affect RBCs can have a significant impact on quality of life. Sickle cell disease and malaria are two common RBC diseases that affect a significant portion of the U.S. and global populations. Sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disorder that causes deformed and dysfunctional red blood cells, affects an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 Americans, while malaria affects approximately 1,500 Americans annually and 190 to 311 million people worldwide.

6 Dec 2010

Ageing reversed in mice: Study

A scientific team at Harvard-affiliated medical centers genetically manipulated mice to age faster. Then they used gene therapy to lengthen telomeres. Telomeres are compounds found at the ends of strands of DNA that are related to age. This lengthening of telomeres reversed age-related problems such as decreased brain function and infertility.

29 Nov 2010

Chronic jet lag alters brain's intricate role in memory processing

Chronic jet lag alters the brain in ways that cause memory and learning problems long after one's return to a regular 24-hour schedule, according to research by University of California, Berkeley, psychologists.

25 Nov 2010

Radical change to Alzheimer’s management

The first disease-modifying drugs are expected to launch from 2013, radically changing the way Alzheimer’s disease is treated. With the potential to successfully slow or halt the progression of Alzheimer’s, blockbuster revenues are beckoning for such pipeline drugs, claims independent market analyst, Datamonitor.

23 Nov 2010

Physical activity may protect high-risk individuals from cognitive decline: Study

Physical activity promotes changes in the brain that may protect high-risk individuals against cognitive decline, including development of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study done at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM).

19 Nov 2010

Studies explore lifestyle's influence on wellness and brain health

New research is providing a deeper understanding of how individual actions - such as exercising, sensory stimulation, or drinking - influence brain health and outcomes. This new knowledge could ultimately lead to interventions in age-related cognitive declines, drug abuse, stroke, and brain injury, separate from or in combination with traditional pharmacological approaches. These findings were presented at Neuroscience 2010, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news on brain science and health.

17 Nov 2010

Size of hippocampus may be linked to early dementia

The size of the part of the brain known as the hippocampus may be linked to future dementia, reveals a thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

16 Nov 2010

Young marijuana users suffer most cognitive damage: Study

Many marijuana smokers begin early. A new study shows that these people did much worse on tests of executive brain function than those who started smoking when they were older. Researchers highlight the danger posed by marijuana and the need to develop effective strategies to reduce marijuana use, especially among young people in their study.

15 Nov 2010

30 seconds to predict possibility of Alzheimer’s disease

It could take a mere 30 seconds to spot signs of Alzheimer’s disease in 40 year-olds in the near future say scientists who are developing a new diagnostic test. Usually Alzheimer’s disease is detected much later in life after the symptoms begin to appear.

14 Nov 2010

Dementia deaths & incidence on the rise

A new report highlights the fact that one in six deaths are caused by dementia in England. The report looked at death certificates between 2001 and 2009 and found that conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease account for 15 per cent of deaths in England. Two-thirds of victims died in nursing or residential care homes and a third in hospital. Most campaigners claim that the actual figures may be higher and put it as one in three deaths. The report also says that the total number of deaths due to dementia are rising.

10 Nov 2010

Simple test and an MRI predicts future Alzheimer’s disease

Until now is has been believed that Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia could be diagnosed only when symptoms appear which almost always means when patients are in their 70s or 80s. Now the latest research shows that some brain lesions are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease and can be detected in the brains of healthy people in their 40s. Along with this a simple mental skills test may be able to detect the problem many years sooner than previously thought.

10 Nov 2010