cognition

Fish oil may stall effects of junk food on brain
05/14/2013 - 09:13

Data from more than 180 research papers suggests fish oils could minimise the effects that junk food can have on the brain, a review by researchers at the University of Liverpool has shown.

 

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Researchers Reveal New More Precise Method of Performing Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
05/06/2013 - 09:56

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective acute treatment for severe major depression. However, even with newer forms of ECT, there remains a significant risk of adverse cognitive effects, particularly memory problems.

 

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No Link Between Anesthesia, Dementia in Elderly, Mayo Clinic Study Finds
05/01/2013 - 09:55

Elderly patients who receive anesthesia are no more likely to develop long-term dementia or Alzheimer's disease than other seniors, according to new Mayo Clinic research. The study analyzed thousands of patients using the Rochester Epidemiology Project — which allows researchers access to medical records of nearly all residents of Olmsted County, Minn. — and found that receiving general anesthesia for procedures after age 45 is not a risk factor for developing dementia. The findings were published Wednesday, May 1, online in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

 

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Brain-imaging tool and stroke risk test help identify cognitive decline early
04/03/2013 - 13:29

UCLA researchers have used a brain-imaging tool and stroke risk assessment to identify signs of cognitive decline early on in individuals who don't yet show symptoms of dementia.

 

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Autism Speaks Trailblazer Research Supports New Theory That Blocking Cell Distress Signals Can Ease Autism Symptoms
03/14/2013 - 14:17

Autism Speaks, the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization, today announced a study  supported by one of Autism Speaks’ first Suzanne and Bob Wright Trailblazer Awards, presents a new theory that autism may result from chronic danger signaling by mitochondria, cell structures that supply our cells with energy.

 

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Researchers Show that Suppressing the Brain’s “Filter” Can Improve Performance in Creative Tasks
03/14/2013 - 14:01

The brain’s prefrontal cortex is thought to be the seat of cognitive control, working as a kind of filter that keeps irrelevant thoughts, perceptions and memories from interfering with a task at hand. Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have shown that inhibiting this filter can boost performance for tasks in which unfiltered, creative thoughts present an advantage.

 

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