Cognitive Function News and Research

RSS

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.

Study sheds light on how genes and air pollution elevate healthy people’s depression risk

Study sheds light on how genes and air pollution elevate healthy people’s depression risk

A genetic predisposition for depression combined with exposure to high-particulate-matter air pollution greatly elevates the risk that healthy people will experience depression, according to a first-of-its-kind study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences from neuroscientists at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, on the Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, and Peking University in Beijing, China.

9 Nov 2021

Specific amino acids act against neurodegenerative processes, says study

Specific amino acids act against neurodegenerative processes, says study

Dementia is a condition that involves severe loss of cognitive function.

26 Oct 2021

New insights into the role of fat cells in cognitive decline and neurodegeneration

New insights into the role of fat cells in cognitive decline and neurodegeneration

Findings published this week reveal new insights into the role of fat cells in cognitive decline and neurodegeneration, according to a study that involves the oxidant amplification loop led by Marshall University scientists.

22 Oct 2021

Common drug to treat cancer reverses Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice

Common drug to treat cancer reverses Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice

A drug commonly used to treat cancer can restore memory and cognitive function in mice that display symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, new UBC research has found.

6 Oct 2021

Ketone supplement may be a new therapeutic strategy for enhancing brain health in adults with obesity

Ketone supplement may be a new therapeutic strategy for enhancing brain health in adults with obesity

New research published in The Journal of Physiology has shown that ketone supplements may be a novel therapeutic strategy for protecting and improving brain health in people with obesity.

5 Oct 2021

Researchers discover that existing drug can enhance memory

Researchers discover that existing drug can enhance memory

A group of scientists identified that a prevailing drug for treating constipation might boost an individual’s capability to think with better clarity.

4 Oct 2021

Study explores the benefits of the MIND diet for older adults

Study explores the benefits of the MIND diet for older adults

Scientists identified that older adults could take advantage of a specific diet named the MIND diet even when the protein deposits are developed.

23 Sep 2021

Scientists explore whether consuming cocoa can help us age better

Scientists explore whether consuming cocoa can help us age better

Whether consuming cocoa, known to be packed with powerful antioxidants that protect our cells from damage, helps us age better, is a question scientists want to definitively answer.

14 Sep 2021

New research focuses on possible treatment options for childhood brain cancer

New research focuses on possible treatment options for childhood brain cancer

Medulloblastoma is a rare but devastating childhood brain cancer. This cancer can spread through the spinal fluid and be deposited elsewhere in the brain or spine.

11 Jun 2021

Study identifies DNA alterations that underpin brain and cognitive decline in the elderly

Study identifies DNA alterations that underpin brain and cognitive decline in the elderly

According to a new mathematical model published recently in eLife, Alzheimer’s disease has some important similarities with healthy aging.

20 May 2021

Natural compounds in apples and other fruits may improve brain function

Natural compounds in apples and other fruits may improve brain function

According to a new study, apples and other fruits contain natural substances that may help trigger the generation of new neurons in the brain.

15 Feb 2021

Scientists discover the origin of rare genetic syndrome

Scientists discover the origin of rare genetic syndrome

Improvements in DNA sequencing have revealed a rare syndrome triggered by changes in the SATB1gene.

29 Jan 2021

Caffeinated coffee helps to minimize reductions in attention and cognitive function

Caffeinated coffee helps to minimize reductions in attention and cognitive function

A new study exploring the impact of repeated sleep loss during a simulated working week has found that consuming caffeinated coffee during the day helps to minimize reductions in attention and cognitive function, compared to decaffeinated coffee.

22 Jan 2021

Study may lead to new approaches to protect older individuals from viruses

Study may lead to new approaches to protect older individuals from viruses

A drug that boosts the removal of cellular debris in immune cells may increase the protective effects of vaccines in older adults, a study published today in eLife shows.

16 Dec 2020

Damage to brain cells causes a chain reaction that impacts 'bystander' neurons

Damage to brain cells causes a chain reaction that impacts 'bystander' neurons

Injury or disease that afflicts a relatively small number of brain cells causes a chain reaction that stops activity across a vast network of neural circuits, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University.

9 Dec 2020

Study could explain why some people are severely affected by Bardet-Biedl syndrome

Study could explain why some people are severely affected by Bardet-Biedl syndrome

Geneticists usually split disorders into “simple”, where mutations in several genes contribute modest quantities.

13 Oct 2020

Gut dysbiosis in people with Huntington's disease may offer a potential target for future treatment

Gut dysbiosis in people with Huntington's disease may offer a potential target for future treatment

A world first clinical study of the gut microbiome in people with Huntington's disease (HD) has found that it is not just a disease of the brain, but also of the body.

7 Aug 2020

Supercomputer analyses point to a new pathway for COVID-19 inflammatory response

Supercomputer analyses point to a new pathway for COVID-19 inflammatory response

Analyses of lung fluid cells from COVID-19 patients conducted on a supercomputer point to patterns that may explain the body's response to SARS-CoV-2.

29 Jul 2020

Study may help design effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease

Study may help design effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease

Neurons in the brains of such people are being depleted gradually and inevitably, resulting in the characteristic loss of cognitive function and memory.

29 Jun 2020

Excessive degradation of mitochondria causes severe disease in children

Excessive degradation of mitochondria causes severe disease in children

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered that excessive degradation of the power plants of our cells plays an important role in the onset of mitochondrial disease in children.

12 Jun 2020

Creating a Biological Clock in a Test Tube

Dr. Susan Golden, Dr. Andy LiWang, and Dr. Carrie Partch

We speak to researchers from the UC San Diego Center for Circadian Biology about their latest research that led to the development of a biological clock in a test tube.

Creating a Biological Clock in a Test Tube

World Soil Day: An Interview with the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)

Ronald Vargas

For World Soil Day, we spoke to Ronald Vargas from the FAO, about the importance of soil health and the need to raise awareness surrounding it.

World Soil Day: An Interview with the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)

How is Climate Change affecting Global Agriculture?

Dr. Jonas Jägermeyr

We speak to Dr. Jonas Jägermeyr, from the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, about his research into climate change and its effect on agriculture.

How is Climate Change affecting Global Agriculture?