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cognition

·December 20, 2024·5 min read

AI Estimates Brain Age, Links Lifestyle to Cognitive Health

Researchers used AI to analyze brain images from 70-year-olds, estimating their biological brain age and uncovering connections to lifestyle and health factors. Diabetes, inflammation, and high glucose levels were linked to older-looking brains, while regular exercise and healthy habits were associated with younger-looking brains.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 20, 2024·4 min read

How Alcohol Impairs the Brain’s Ability to Adapt and Learn

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) disrupts cognitive flexibility, crucial for learning and adapting to change. New research reveals that chronic alcohol exposure alters the firing patterns of cholinergic interneurons (CINs), key neurons in the brain’s striatum that regulate dopamine and influence reward-driven learning.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 19, 2024·5 min read

70 Is the New 60: Age Related Declines Slowing in Older People

study highlights significant improvements in the physical and mental functioning of older adults in England compared to previous generations. Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, researchers found that advancements in education, nutrition, sanitation, and medical care have likely contributed to better health outcomes. For instance, a 68-year-old born in 1950 exhibited similar capacities to a 62-year-old born a decade earlier.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 11, 2024·5 min read

Brain-Wide Connections Predict Human Intelligence

A recent study explores how connections across the entire brain predict human intelligence, moving beyond traditional focus on specific brain areas like the prefrontal cortex. Using fMRI data from over 800 individuals, researchers analyzed communication between brain regions to predict fluid, crystallized, and general intelligence scores.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 10, 2024·7 min read

How Sleep Shapes Our Brain’s Mental Navigational Maps

A new study reveals how the brain forms cohesive mental maps of spaces and highlights the critical role of sleep in this process. While "place cells" in the hippocampus mark specific locations, weaker spatial cells stitch these points into a comprehensive cognitive map.

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·December 10, 2024·5 min read

Diets That Reduce Brain Iron May Delay Cognitive Decline

New research suggests that certain nutrients may lower iron buildup in the brain, a factor linked to cognitive decline in aging. Excess non-heme iron, which accumulates over time, contributes to oxidative stress and can impair memory and executive function.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 10, 2024·7 min read

Exercise Boosts Memory for 24 Hours

New research reveals that the cognitive boost from moderate to vigorous exercise lasts up to the next day, enhancing memory performance in adults aged 50 to 83. The study also found that adequate sleep—particularly deep, slow-wave sleep—adds to these benefits.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 8, 2024·5 min read

Short Sleep and High Blood Pressure Linked to Brain Aging

Research reveals that people with high blood pressure who also sleep less than six hours per night face increased risks of brain injury, accelerated brain aging, and impaired executive function. The study assessed 682 participants from the Framingham Heart Study, analyzing sleep patterns, blood pressure, cognitive performance, and brain MRIs.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 7, 2024·5 min read

Neighborhood Disadvantage Linked to Cognitive Health Risks

Living in disadvantaged neighborhoods is associated with higher blood pressure and lower cognitive performance, even in individuals without mild cognitive impairment. Researchers analyzed over 500 adults, finding that poor social and economic resources in neighborhoods exacerbate cardiometabolic health issues and reduce brain function.

This shows a high school football player and a brain.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·November 26, 2024·4 min read

Concussion Impacts Brain Activity and Cognition in High Schoolers

Concussions affect aperiodic brain activity, a key signal often dismissed as "background noise," which plays a role in brain excitability and cognitive function. High school football players who experienced concussions showed slowed aperiodic activity, correlating with worse memory, concentration, and post-concussion test scores.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 22, 2024·5 min read

NREM Sleep Enhances Cognitive Performance

A new study reveals how NREM sleep enhances cognitive performance by synchronizing neural activity and improving information encoding. Researchers observed macaques' brain activity during visual tasks before and after sleep, finding that neuronal desynchronization after NREM sleep led to better task performance.

This shows two people, squiggly lines and the words "cause" and "effect".

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 22, 2024·3 min read

Why We’re Wired to Love Simple Solutions

People's preference for simple explanations stems from their desire for efficiency in both understanding situations and achieving goals. Researchers found that participants consistently favored explanations involving common, reliable causes over complex or rare ones.

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cognition

AI Estimates Brain Age, Links Lifestyle to Cognitive Health

How Alcohol Impairs the Brain’s Ability to Adapt and Learn

70 Is the New 60: Age Related Declines Slowing in Older People

Brain-Wide Connections Predict Human Intelligence

How Sleep Shapes Our Brain’s Mental Navigational Maps

Diets That Reduce Brain Iron May Delay Cognitive Decline

Exercise Boosts Memory for 24 Hours

Short Sleep and High Blood Pressure Linked to Brain Aging

Neighborhood Disadvantage Linked to Cognitive Health Risks

Concussion Impacts Brain Activity and Cognition in High Schoolers

NREM Sleep Enhances Cognitive Performance

Why We’re Wired to Love Simple Solutions

Rare Brain Cells Offer Clues to Aging and Rejuvenation

Structural Sexism Tied to Faster Memory Decline in Older Women

Chronic Gut Virus May Play a Role in Alzheimer’s Development

AI Estimates Brain Age, Links Lifestyle to Cognitive Health

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