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cognitive function

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Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·July 25, 2017·5 min read

Brain Stimulation May Improve Cognitive Performance in Those With Schizophrenia

Researchers at King's College London report transcranial direct current stimulation can help to improve cognitive function in those with Schizophrenia. The researchers found the improvement in cognitive performance was seen 24 hours after the initial stimulation was applied. They suggest the changes make not be instantaneous, and may take some time to occur.

Electrophysiology Featured Neuroscience

·July 19, 2017·5 min read

Study Reveals Contrast in How Groups of Neurons Function During Decision Making

A new study published in Nature sheds light on how populations of neurons work together during working memory and decision making tasks. Researchers report individual neurons are briefly active, but populations of neurons working together carry information for longer periods of time by being active at different times.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 17, 2017·3 min read

Daily Crosswords Linked to Sharper Brain in Later Life

A new study from the University of Exeter adds to growing evidence that embarking on daily challenging puzzles can help protect brain function later in life. Researchers report older people who complete a daily crossword have brain function equivalent to people ten years their junior when it comes to grammatical reasoning and short term memory accuracy.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 10, 2017·7 min read

Brain Training Has No Effect on Cognitive Function or Decision Making

Over the past few years, brain training programs have grown in popularity with claims of helping to improve memory and cognitive function. However, a new study in the Journal of Neuroscience reports a popular commercial brain training system had no effect on cognitive function beyond practice effects on the training tasks. They system also had no effect on decision making.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 27, 2017·6 min read

A Snapshot of Neural Activity

A new neuron labeling technique allows researchers to obtain a snapshot of their activity at any moment in time. The new approach could provide new insights into neural functioning by offering better precision than current, more long term, labeling techniques.

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Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·June 26, 2017·4 min read

The Mere Presence of Your Smartphone Reduces Brain Power

According to researchers, the mere presence of your smartphone reduces cognitive capacity and impairs cognitive function, even though people believe they are giving a task their full attention and focus.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·June 22, 2017·4 min read

Frequent Sexual Activity Can Boost Brain Power in Older Adults

According to a new study, older people who engage in sexual activity on a frequent basis scored higher on tests that reflect cognitive abilities.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 15, 2017·4 min read

Certain Immune Reactions to Viruses Cause Learning Problems

A new study reports researchers have discovered the mechanism which may cause learning disorders and memory problems as a result of the immune system's reaction to viral infections like HIV and flu.

Featured Psychology

·April 12, 2017·4 min read

College Students Study Better Later in the Day

A new study reports the best times for college students to learn in between 11 am and 9:30 pm.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Visual Neuroscience

·April 8, 2017·4 min read

Why Did We See “The Dress” Differently? The Answer Lies in the Shadows

Researchers reports that, when it comes to images like 'the dress, our differences in color perception may be due to assumptions about how the stimuli was illuminated.

Image shows a graph of the effect of lead on IQ.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 28, 2017·7 min read

Lead Exposure in Childhood Linked to Lower IQ and Lower Status

A new study looks at the long term ramifications of childhood lead exposure, finding links to lower cognitive function, IQ and socioeconomic status.

Image shows a slice of a rat's cerebellum.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 28, 2017·5 min read

Brain Stimulation Improves Schizophrenia-Like Cognitive Problems

Researchers report stimulating the cerebellum of rats with schizophrenia like cognitive problems helps to normalize brain activity in the frontal cortex and correct the rat's ability to estimate the passage of time.