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cognitive control

This shows a brain and an aging timeline.

·September 2, 2025·5 min read

Attention and Focus Abilities Peak Between Ages 27 and 36

Researchers analyzed 139 neuroimaging studies spanning ages 5 to 85 to map the brain’s activity in cognitive control. They found an inverted U-shaped lifespan trajectory, with brain activity rising through adolescence, peaking between ages 27 and 36, and then gradually declining.

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Featured Neuroscience

·April 23, 2024·7 min read

Beta Rhythms May Be Master Regulators of Cognitive Control

A new study highlights the critical role of beta rhythms (14-30 Hz) in orchestrating cognitive processes. The research synthesizes experimental data and theoretical models to show that bursts of beta rhythms facilitate cognitive control by regulating the timing and location of higher-frequency gamma waves.

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Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 1, 2021·4 min read

Boosting Human Mental Function With Brain Stimulation

A new method that merged artificial intelligence with electrical brain stimulation improved brain functions related to self-control and mental flexibility.

This shows a depressed looking man wearing a hoodie to cover his face

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 10, 2019·5 min read

Brain scans may provide clues to suicide risk

Neuroimaging can be used to assess a person's risk of suicidal behavior. Those with mood disorders, a history of suicidal thoughts, and those with a history of suicide attempts have less connectivity in the cognitive control network. They also have reduced connectivity between the cognitive control network and the default mode network.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 30, 2017·5 min read

Brain Scans Reveal Why Rewards and Punishments Don’t Seem to Work on Teens

Researchers investigate the teenage brain and answer questions as to why behaviors change so much during these years.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 6, 2026·8 min read

Brain’s Default Setting for Ambiguity Matters for Mental Health

A new study reveals that "valence bias"—how we interpret ambiguous situations—is a key predictor of depression and anxiety. The study highlights a critical "positivity shift" at age 10 that can determine a child's mental health trajectory.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 13, 2020·4 min read

Calculated surprise leads to groundbreaking discovery in cognitive control research

The activity of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) during motivated control reflects the calculation of surprise. The findings take cognitive control research to new heights by providing insight into how the dACC works as a component of a brain network that supports motivated behaviors.

This EEG printout shows theta wave activity when DBS is applied

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 4, 2019·5 min read

Deep stimulation improves cognitive control by augmenting brain rhythms

Deep brain stimulation improves performance on cognitive control tasks and increases theta oscillations in the medial, and lateral prefrontal cortex.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 15, 2018·5 min read

Diving In to How Our Brains Process Information

Researchers are embarking on a new project to better understand the mechanisms of cognitive control.They hope to generate a specific mathematical model for each individual's brain activity in order to understand how cognitive control differs between people.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 10, 2021·4 min read

How Do We Learn to Learn?

Cognitive control training that focuses on important factors while ignoring distractions enhances information processing and enables the ability to "learn to learn".

This shows the outline of two heads and a brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 11, 2026·6 min read

How the Brain Dampens Losses to Support Mental Toughness

Psychologically resilient people place less value on minor losses. This bias is driven by heightened prefrontal brain activity that helps regulate negative emotions, providing a potential neural target for training mental toughness.