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.

Determining levels of homocysteine may be one way to intervene in mild cognitive deficit early in the adult life-cycle

...according to a recent study by a research team led by Merrill F. Elias, a professor of epidemiology in the Statistics and Consulting Unit of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Boston University.

28 Sep 2005

Loss of body mass over time appears to be strongly linked to older adults' risk of developing Alzheimer's disease

The findings are the first to associate decline in body mass index (BMI) with the eventual onset of AD. The researchers suggest that the loss of body mass reflects disease processes and that change in BMI might be a clinical predictor of the development of AD.

26 Sep 2005

Tests of cognitive function are the best way so far to predict whether healthy elderly people will develop Alzheimer's

Although Alzheimer's disease begins long before symptoms appear, early diagnosis of Alzheimer's has so far been elusive. And given that there is no cure for the disease, benefits of early detection remain questionable.

26 Sep 2005

Aggressive public health efforts to control hypertension may help preserve cognitive abilities as well as cardiovascular health

Not only does high blood pressure adversely affect mental functioning, but the correlation appears to be stronger among African-Americans than among whites, researchers report in the current issue of Psychosomatic Medicine.

26 Sep 2005

Lead exposures early in life combined with high blood pressure in working age adults may lead to diminishing cognitive abilities in later life

Exposure to lead in early childhood and adolescence may contribute to hypertension-related decline that can impair a person's cognitive abilities, according to a new study presented at the 2005 American Heart Association's High Blood Pressure Research meeting.

26 Sep 2005

Scientists reverse memory loss in mice with Alzheimer's

In mice, that had been genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer's disease, scientists were able to reverse the rodents' memory loss by reducing the amount of an enzyme that is crucial for the development of Alzheimer's disease.

26 Sep 2005

Smaller prefrontal cortex is associated with early-onset drinking

Previous research has shown that alcohol-use disorders (AUDs) are associated with abnormalities of the prefrontal cortex, thalamus and the cerebellar hemispheres in adults.

26 Sep 2005

Exposure to toxin domoic acid might negatively affect unborn children

Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that the naturally occurring marine toxin domoic acid can cause subtle but lasting cognitive damage in rats exposed to the chemical before birth. Humans can become poisoned by the potentially lethal, algal toxin after eating contaminated shellfish.

6 Sep 2005

People with serious mental illness have higher rates of type 2 diabetes

...yet their knowledge of diabetes was generally poor and significantly lower than people without mental illness, according to a new study.

1 Sep 2005

Blood flow into the brain may play a larger role in the development of dementia than previously believed

Researchers from Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine the brains of elderly patients with and without dementia related to Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.

30 Aug 2005

Subtle effects of hearing loss on memory and cognitive function in older adults

In a new study, Brandeis University researchers conclude that older adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss may expend so much cognitive energy on hearing accurately that their ability to remember spoken language suffers as a result.

29 Aug 2005

Inhibitory systems essential for controlling the pattern of activity in the cortex

Inhibitory systems are essential for controlling the pattern of activity in the cortex, which has important implications for the mechanisms of cortical operation, according to a Yale School of Medicine study in Neuron.

28 Aug 2005

Parts of the brain used in daydreaming are the same areas that fail in people who have Alzheimer's disease

Researchers who used five different medical imaging techniques to study the brain activity of 764 people, including those with Alzheimer's disease, those on the brink of dementia, and healthy individuals, have found that the areas of the brain that young, healthy people use when daydreaming are the same areas that fail in people who have Alzheimer's disease.

25 Aug 2005

Coronary angioplasty increases risk of developing Alzheimer's disease

Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers have discovered that patients who have either coronary artery bypass graft surgery or coronary angioplasty are at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

25 Aug 2005

Healthy or wealthy, dementia affects us all the same

According to a UK study, dementia is no respector of wealth or health, and does not appear to be governed by social background or health status.

24 Aug 2005

There are subtle effects of hearing loss on memory and cognitive function in older adults

13 Aug 2005

Drugs with similar chemical attributes as Ecstasy might offer useful alternatives to current therapies for Parkinson's disease

Amphetamines, including the drug popularly known as Ecstasy, can reverse the symptoms of Parkinson's disease in mice with an acute form of the condition, according to new research at Duke University Medical Center.

2 Aug 2005

Cognitive Function News and Research

Further Reading

Determining levels of homocysteine may be one way to intervene in mild cognitive deficit early in the adult life-cycle

Loss of body mass over time appears to be strongly linked to older adults' risk of developing Alzheimer's disease

Tests of cognitive function are the best way so far to predict whether healthy elderly people will develop Alzheimer's

Aggressive public health efforts to control hypertension may help preserve cognitive abilities as well as cardiovascular health

Lead exposures early in life combined with high blood pressure in working age adults may lead to diminishing cognitive abilities in later life

Scientists reverse memory loss in mice with Alzheimer's

Smaller prefrontal cortex is associated with early-onset drinking

Exposure to toxin domoic acid might negatively affect unborn children

People with serious mental illness have higher rates of type 2 diabetes

Blood flow into the brain may play a larger role in the development of dementia than previously believed

Subtle effects of hearing loss on memory and cognitive function in older adults

Inhibitory systems essential for controlling the pattern of activity in the cortex

Parts of the brain used in daydreaming are the same areas that fail in people who have Alzheimer's disease

Coronary angioplasty increases risk of developing Alzheimer's disease

Healthy or wealthy, dementia affects us all the same

There are subtle effects of hearing loss on memory and cognitive function in older adults

Drugs with similar chemical attributes as Ecstasy might offer useful alternatives to current therapies for Parkinson's disease

Statins not effective in reducing dementia risk

Statins not associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia

Folic acid improves memory and protects the brain from aging

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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