Feature Channels: Cognition and Learning

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Released: 26-May-2017 9:00 AM EDT
Gray Matter Density Increases During Adolescence
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

A new study published by Penn Medicine researchers this month and featured on the cover of the Journal of Neuroscience reveals that while volume indeed decreases from childhood to young adulthood, gray matter density actually increases.

24-May-2017 5:00 PM EDT
Penn Medicine Researchers Identify Brain Network Organization Changes That Influence Improvements in Executive Function Among Adolescents and Young Adults
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

In a new study, published this week in Current Biology, a team of University of Pennsylvania researchers report newly mapped changes in the network organization of the brain that underlie those improvements in executive function. The findings could provide clues about risks for certain mental illnesses.

Released: 23-May-2017 4:45 PM EDT
Does Exercise Affect the Brain’s Aging Process? U-M Research Aims to Find Out
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Most people know that regular exercise can keep a body looking and feeling young. What about the brain? Michigan Medicine researchers were recently awarded a two-year grant to further examine the role physical activity plays on the brain.

15-May-2017 11:00 AM EDT
Don’t Count on Your Chickens Counting
University of California San Diego

To understand numbers, you need culture, says UC San Diego cognitive scientist Rafael Nunez, arguing against the current conventional wisdom that numerical cognition is biologically endowed.

Released: 9-May-2017 12:05 PM EDT
How Pokémon Go Can Help Students Build Stronger Communication Skills
Iowa State University

Technology continues to change the way students learn. That's why Emily Howell, an assistant professor in Iowa State’s School of Education, is working with teachers to develop new ways to incorporate digital tools in the classroom, including games such as Pokémon GO.

28-Apr-2017 11:05 AM EDT
Preschoolers’ Story Comprehension Similar for Print and Digital Books
New York University

The content of a children’s book – not its form as a print book or a digital book – predicts how well children understand a story, finds a new study by NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

Released: 26-Apr-2017 1:00 PM EDT
Brain Boot Camp: New Technology Aims to Accelerate Learning
University of Wisconsin–Madison

UW-Madison researchers are part of an effort to develop a low-cost, easy-to-use system that aims to accelerate learning by stimulating nerves in the head and neck to boost neural activity in the brain.

25-Apr-2017 8:00 AM EDT
Low Levels Of "Memory Protein" Linked to Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer's Disease
Johns Hopkins Medicine

This discovery, described online in the April 25 edition of eLife, will lead to important research and may one day help experts develop new and better therapies for Alzheimer's and other forms of cognitive decline.

21-Apr-2017 12:05 PM EDT
Caudate Stimulation Enhances Human Associative Learning
American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)

Winner of the Philip L. Gildenberg MD Resident Award, Sarah Kathleen Bourne Bick, MD, presented her research, Caudate Stimulation Enhances Human Associative Learning, during the 2017 American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Scientific Meeting.

Released: 24-Apr-2017 4:45 PM EDT
Research From Sandia Shows Brain Stimulation During Training Boosts Performance
Sandia National Laboratories

New research from Sandia published in Neuropsychologia shows that working memory training combined with a kind of noninvasive brain stimulation can lead to cognitive improvement under certain conditions. Improving working memory or cognitive strategies could be very valuable for training people faster and more efficiently.

Released: 24-Apr-2017 12:05 PM EDT
Georgetown Neurologist Launches New "Medical Home" Study for MS Care
Georgetown University Medical Center

A Georgetown physician-researcher has launched a first-of-its-kind study to test a medical care model that could change the way people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are treated.

Released: 21-Apr-2017 10:05 AM EDT
Weight Expectations: Context and Distraction Skew What We Predict and Remember
Michigan Technological University

Context can alter something as basic as our ability to estimate the weights of simple objects. As we learn to manipulate those objects, context can even tease out the interplay of two memory systems and shows how distraction can affect multitasking.

Released: 20-Apr-2017 9:00 AM EDT
In Young Bilingual Children Two Languages Develop Simultaneously but Independently
Florida Atlantic University

A new study of Spanish-English bilingual children finds that when children learn any two languages from birth each language proceeds on its own independent course, at a rate that reflects the quality of the children’s exposure to each language.

17-Apr-2017 4:00 PM EDT
Why Children Struggle to Safely Cross Busy Streets
University of Iowa

Researchers have found children up to early teenagers lack the perceptual judgment and motor skills to safely cross a busy road consistently. Children placed in realistic, simulated environments were tested for their road-crossing abilities. Those from 6 to 12 years of age had trouble crossing the street, with accident rates as high as 8 percent with 6-year-olds. Results appear in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance.

Released: 19-Apr-2017 12:05 PM EDT
More Than Recess: How Playing on the Swings Helps Kids Learn to Cooperate
University of Washington

A study by the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) shows the potential of synchronized movement in helping young children develop collaborative skills. The measured, synchronous movement of children on the swings can encourage preschoolers to cooperate on subsequent activities, UW researchers have found.

Released: 17-Apr-2017 3:45 PM EDT
Eye Expressions Offer a Glimpse Into the Evolution of Emotion
Cornell University

New research by Adam Anderson, professor of human development at Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology, reveals why the eyes offer a window into the soul. According to the recent study, in Psychological Science, we interpret a person’s emotions by analyzing the expression in their eyes – a process that began as a universal reaction to environmental stimuli and evolved to communicate our deepest emotions.

   
17-Apr-2017 3:00 PM EDT
Aha! Study Examines People as They Are Struck by Sudden Insight
Ohio State University

Everybody loves those rare “aha moments” where you suddenly and unexpectedly solve a difficult problem or understand something that had previously perplexed you. But until now, researchers had not had a good way to study how people actually experienced what is called “epiphany learning.”

Released: 14-Apr-2017 12:05 PM EDT
Building a Better Model of Human-Automation Interaction
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society

People generally make decisions using two ways of thinking: They think consciously, deliberate for a while, and try to use logic to figure out what action to take – referred to as analytical cognition. Or people unconsciously recognize patterns in certain situations, get a "gut feeling," and take action based on that feeling; in other words, they use intuitive cognition.

Released: 11-Apr-2017 8:05 AM EDT
Stress Can Increase Empathy
University of Vienna

Acute psychosocial stress leads to increased empathy and prosocial behavior. An international team of researchers led by Claus Lamm from the University of Vienna investigated the effects of stress on neural mechanisms and tested the relationship between empathy and prosocial behavior in a new experiment. The study has just been published in the journal Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.

   
3-Apr-2017 8:05 AM EDT
Why Did We See “The Dress” Differently? The Answer Lies in the Shadows, Neuroscience Research Finds
New York University

When “the dress” went viral in 2015, millions were divided on its true colors: gold and white or black and blue? In a new study, an NYU neuroscientist concludes that these differences in perception are due to our assumptions about how the dress was illuminated.

5-Apr-2017 6:30 PM EDT
TV Crowd to Help Crush Alzheimer's
Human Computation Institute

EyesOnALZ (http://eyesonalz.com) – a project to crowdsource Alzheimer’s research is launching an online competition to #CrushALZ on April 6th, in partnership with The Crowd & The Cloud – a public television documentary series about citizen science.

   
Released: 3-Apr-2017 8:05 AM EDT
When Writing Interferes with Hearing
Université de Genève (University of Geneva)

Using data from brain imaging techniques that enable visualising the brain’s activity, a neuroscientist at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and a Parisian ENT surgeon have managed to decipher brain reorganisation processes at work when people start to lose their hearing, and thus predict the success or failure of a cochlear implant among people who have become profoundly deaf in their adult life. The results of this research may be found in Nature Communications.

Released: 29-Mar-2017 11:05 AM EDT
Brain Changes Make Some Older Adults More Vulnerable to Scams
Cornell University

For the first time, researchers have found a biological basis for financial exploitation in the elderly. The team is led by a Cornell University scientist with collaborators at York University in Toronto.

   
Released: 27-Mar-2017 11:05 AM EDT
Brain Activity Can Be Used to Predict Reading Success Up to Two Years in Advance
Binghamton University, State University of New York

By measuring brainwaves, it is possible to predict what a child’s reading level will be years in advance, according to research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

   
Released: 23-Mar-2017 12:00 PM EDT
Novel Gene Therapy Experiment Offers Hope for People with Certain Hearing Loss and Dizziness Disorder
Johns Hopkins Medicine

In a first-of-its-kind study published in the March 1, 2017 edition of Molecular Therapy, researchers from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine showed that gene therapy was able to restore balance and hearing in genetically modified mice that mimic Usher Syndrome, a genetic condition in humans characterized by partial or total hearing loss, dizziness, and vision loss that worsens over time. The hearing loss and dizziness is caused by abnormalities of the inner ear.

Released: 21-Mar-2017 3:05 PM EDT
Roger Penrose Institute to Form in San Diego
Center for Consciousness Studies, University of Arizona

A unique institute is being formed to develop and investigate the forward-thinking ideas of eminent British physicist Sir Roger Penrose. To be based in San Diego, California, with collaborations in London and Oxford in the UK, and Tucson, Arizona, the Institute will examine the interplay between quantum mechanics and general relativity and the possible implications on our understanding of consciousness.

Released: 16-Mar-2017 4:05 AM EDT
NUS Study: Daily Consumption of Tea Protects the Elderly From Cognitive Decline
National University of Singapore (NUS)

A study led by Assistant Professor Feng Lei from National University of Singapore’s Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine has found that regular consumption of tea lowers the risk of cognitive decline in the elderly, and this is especially so for APOE e4 gene carriers who are genetically at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Released: 8-Mar-2017 5:05 PM EST
College Students’ Perception of Dietary Terms Could Help Nutrition Education
Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior

Researchers from the University of Hawaii and Brigham Young University set out to determine college students’ perception of the terms real meal, meal, and snack and how those perceptions might enable more effective nutrition education. The results of this study are published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

   
Released: 6-Mar-2017 10:05 AM EST
It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s – a Key Discovery About Human Memory
 Johns Hopkins University

As Superman flies over the city, people on the ground famously suppose they see a bird, then a plane, and then finally realize it’s a superhero. But they haven’t just spotted the Man of Steel – they’ve experienced the ideal conditions to create a very strong memory of him.

Released: 2-Mar-2017 3:05 PM EST
Grant Supports Research of Neurocognitive Disorders Associated with HIV
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Increased longevity of those living with HIV means dealing with related health issues, including dementia and other cognition-related problems. An NIH grant supports development of interventions, treatments to improve everyday functioning, and quality of life.

27-Feb-2017 1:00 PM EST
Too Much TV Related to Drops in School Readiness, Especially Among Low-Income Children
New York University

Watching television for more than a couple of hours a day is linked to lower school readiness skills in kindergartners, particularly among children from low-income families, finds a study by NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development and Université Sainte-Anne.

Released: 1-Mar-2017 2:05 PM EST
Study of Microtuning Suggests Musical Scales May Have Developed to Accommodate Vocal Limitations
University at Buffalo

For singers and their audiences, being “in tune” might not be as important as we think. The fact that singers fail to consistently hit the right notes may have implications for the development of musical scales as well.

Released: 28-Feb-2017 2:05 PM EST
New Vanderbilt Center Helps Those with Smell and Taste Disorders
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

The Vanderbilt Smell and Taste Center kicked off in January with a monthly clinic designed to diagnose and begin treatment of smell and taste disorders. Rick Chandra, M.D., professor of Otolaryngology, said Vanderbilt has long treated these disorders as symptoms of other issues that bring patients here for treatment, and this clinic will focus on people with undiagnosed smell and taste issues.

17-Feb-2017 12:55 PM EST
Cedars-Sinai Investigators Identify Human Brain Processes Critical to Short-Term Memory
Cedars-Sinai

Cedars-Sinai neuroscientists have uncovered processes involved in how the human brain creates and maintains short-term memories. This study is the first clear demonstration of precisely how human brain cells work to create and recall short-term memories. Confirmation of this process and the specific brain regions involved is a critical step in developing meaningful treatments for memory disorders that affect millions of Americans.

Released: 16-Feb-2017 9:55 AM EST
Momentary Attention Switching Easily Causes Pilot Errors, Like Alleged Harrison Ford Runway Mix-Up
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

Experts on aviation and perception, Stephen Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde comment on the factors that can lead to pilot errors, such as the reported incident involving actor Harrison Ford landing his plane in close brush with a 737 at John Wayne Airport on Wednesday.

   
Released: 15-Feb-2017 11:05 AM EST
Emotions Are Cognitive, Not Innate, Researchers Conclude
New York University

Emotions are not innately programmed into our brains, but, in fact, are cognitive states resulting from the gathering of information, New York University Professor Joseph LeDoux and Richard Brown, a professor at the City University of New York, conclude.

   
Released: 7-Feb-2017 4:05 AM EST
More Order with Less Judgement: An Optimal Theory of the Evolution of Cooperation
University of Vienna

A research team led by Mathematician Tatsuya Sasaki from the University of Vienna presents a new optimal theory of the evolution of reputation-based cooperation. This team proves that the practice of making moral assessments conditionally is very effective in establishing cooperation in terms of evolutionary game theory. "Our study also demonstrates the evolutionary disadvantage of seeking reputation by sanctioning wrongdoers," says Sasaki. The results of the study were published on the in Scientific Reports.

1-Feb-2017 4:00 PM EST
Gene Therapy Restores Hearing in Deaf Mice… Down to a Whisper
Massachusetts Eye and Ear

In the summer of 2015, a team at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School reported restoring rudimentary hearing in genetically deaf mice using gene therapy. Now the Boston Children’s research team reports restoring a much higher level of hearing — down to 25 decibels, the equivalent of a whisper — using an improved gene therapy vector developed at Massachusetts Eye and Ear. The new vector and the mouse studies are described in two back-to-back papers in Nature Biotechnology (published online February 6).

26-Jan-2017 2:05 PM EST
Soccer Ball Heading May Commonly Cause Concussion Symptoms
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Frequent soccer ball heading is a common and under recognized cause of concussion symptoms, according to a study of amateur players led by Albert Einstein College of Medicine researchers. The findings run counter to earlier soccer studies suggesting concussion injuries mainly result from inadvertent head impacts, such as collisions with other players or a goalpost. The study was published online today in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Released: 31-Jan-2017 2:00 PM EST
Brain-Computer Interface Allows Completely Locked-in People to Communicate
PLOS

Completely locked-in participants report being “happy”

   
Released: 31-Jan-2017 1:05 PM EST
New Technology Alleviates Tinnitus by Retraining the Brain to Ignore Ringing in the Ears
Cedars-Sinai

Tinnitus -- "ringing in the ears" -- affects an estimated 50 million Americans and is the leading service-related disability among U.S. veterans. Until recently, very little could be done for sufferers, but now a new, FDA-approved technology is successfully treating it. The Levo System mimics the buzzing, hissing, whistling or clicking sounds that many tinnitus sufferers describe and "trains" the brain to ignore them, thereby alleviating the condition entirely. To do this, patients wear earbuds at night while sleeping, when the brain is most responsive to sensory input.

Released: 30-Jan-2017 5:05 PM EST
New TSRI Study Shows Early Brain Changes in Fragile X Syndrome
Scripps Research Institute

A new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is giving researchers a first look at the early stages of brain development in patients with Fragile X syndrome, a disorder that causes mild to severe intellectual disability and is the most common genetic cause of autism spectrum disorder.

Released: 30-Jan-2017 12:05 PM EST
Mayo Clinic Researchers Find Mental Activities May Protect Against Mild Cognitive Impairment
Mayo Clinic

PHOENIX – Mayo Clinic researchers have found that engaging in mentally stimulating activities, even late in life, may protect against new-onset mild cognitive impairment, which is the intermediate stage between normal cognitive aging and dementia. The study found that cognitively normal people 70 or older who engaged in computer use, craft activities, social activities and playing games had a decreased risk of developing mild cognitive impairment. The results are published in the Jan. 30 edition of JAMA Neurology.

Released: 30-Jan-2017 7:05 AM EST
Kids Should Pay More Attention to Mistakes, Study Suggests
Michigan State University

Children who believe intelligence can grow pay more attention to and bounce back from their mistakes more effectively than kids who think intelligence is fixed, indicates a new study that measured the young participants’ brain waves.

Released: 26-Jan-2017 2:05 PM EST
A Better Carrier
Harvard Medical School

• Harvard Medical School scientists and colleagues from the Massachusetts General Hospital have partly restored hearing in mice with a genetic form of deafness. • Scientists altered a common virus, enhancing its ability to enter hair cells in the inner ear that are critical for hearing and to deliver a missing gene essential for hearing and balance. • The new approach overcomes a longstanding barrier to gene therapy for inherited and acquired deafness.

22-Jan-2017 8:00 PM EST
Stereotypes About “Brilliance” Affect Girls’ Interests as Early as Age 6, New Study Finds
New York University

By the age of 6, girls become less likely than boys to associate brilliance with their own gender and are more likely to avoid activities said to require brilliance, shows a new study conducted by researchers at New York University, the University of Illinois, and Princeton University.



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