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.

Bipolar disorder shrinks the brain

British researchers have found that people who suffer from manic depression or bipolar disorder as it is more often called, also experience a loss of brain tissue and an accelerated shrinking of their brain.

21 Jul 2007

Sedative drugs help Huntington's disease sufferers

Mice carrying the genetic mutation that causes Huntington's Disease (HD) showed marked improvements in alertness and their ability to learn after they were given drugs that put them to sleep.

18 Jul 2007

Older women with memory problems at higher risk of sleep disorders

Older women experiencing memory loss are more likely than women without cognitive decline to have problems falling asleep and staying asleep, according to a study published in the July 17, 2007, issue of Neurology ®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

17 Jul 2007

Loss of sense of smell - early sign of Alzheimer's

According to a new study older people who have difficulty identifying common odors may be more at risk of developing problems with thinking, learning and memory.

4 Jul 2007

Stimulate the brain and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's!

According to a new study elderly people can reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by reading newspapers, playing chess, or engaging in other mentally stimulating activities.

28 Jun 2007

An active mind in old age reduces risk of Alzheimer's disease

How often old people read a newspaper, play chess, or engage in other mentally stimulating activities is related to risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published June 27, 2007, in the online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

28 Jun 2007

Estrogen injections protect brain cells from age-related deterioration

The study suggests that age is a factor in estrogen treatment and sheds light on the intricate relationship between mind, age, and hormones. The study will be published in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences during the week of June 25.

26 Jun 2007

Daily meditation may improve focus and performance

Meditation, according to Penn neuroscientist Amishi Jha and Michael Baime, director of Penn's Stress Management Program, is an active and effortful process that literally changes the way the brain works.

26 Jun 2007

Extra sleep improves athletic performance

Athletes who get an extra amount of sleep are more likely to improve their performance in a game, according to research presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

17 Jun 2007

Mild cognitive disorder often an early symptom of Alzheimer's disease

Using new MRI techniques to analyze tissue composition and structure in the brain, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the National Institute on Aging successfully detected mild cognitive disorder (MCI), a condition in which patients suffer mild memory problems and is often an early symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

14 Jun 2007

Low levels of testosterone may increase the long-term risk of death in men over 50 years old

"The new study is only the second report linking deficiency of this sex hormone with increased death from all causes, over time, and the first to do so in relatively healthy men who are living in the community," said Gail Laughlin, Ph.D., assistant professor and study author.

8 Jun 2007

What causes Alzheimer's disease?

Researchers tied the accumulation of the toxic brain protein beta-amyloid to Alzheimer's disease, according to a study reported at the 54th Annual Meeting of SNM, the world's largest society for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine professionals.

5 Jun 2007

Modafinil (Provigil) alleviates post-chemotherapy fogginess

A drug described by some people as a genius pill for enhancing cognitive function provided relief to a small group of Rochester breast cancer survivors who were coping with a side effect known as chemo-brain, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study.

5 Jun 2007

Neuronal pathology of Fragile X syndrome studied

Fragile X syndrome is the most common form of inherited mental retardation, occurring in 1 in 3600 males and 1 in 4000 to 6000 females.

24 May 2007

Structural brain development and behavior from birth to young adulthood

Yes, there are gender differences in cognitive function, but they're more limited than previously thought.

18 May 2007

Link between extreme sleep disorder and onset of parkinsonism or dementia

Mayo Clinic researchers and a group of international collaborators have discovered a correlation between an extreme form of sleep disorder and eventual onset of parkinsonism or dementia.

17 May 2007

New evidence-based guidelines for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

New evidence-based guidelines from the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) and the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) recommend a comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), citing that pulmonary rehabilitation can help improve a patient's exercise tolerance, dyspnea, and health-related quality of life, as well as decrease hospital stay and health-care utilization.

8 May 2007

Phase III data on Safinamide in Parkinson's disease

Merck Serono S.A. has announced that Phase III data on safinamide, a new agent in Phase III development for the treatment of Parkinson's disease symptoms, were presented by Professor Fabrizio Stocchi at the American Academy of Neurology 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

4 May 2007

Women who use estrogen hormone therapy before 65 reduce likelihood of Alzheimer's or dementia

Women who use hormone therapy before the age of 65 could cut their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or dementia.

4 May 2007

Variants of two genes involved in the inflammatory system linked to cognitive decline after heart surgery

Duke University Medical Center researchers believe their findings could help physicians identify patients at risk of suffering mental decline after heart surgery and raises the possibility that these patients could be treated with drugs that are known to dampen the inflammatory response.

2 May 2007