COLUMBUS, Ohio – New research suggests mindfulness training may help multiple sclerosis patients in two very different ways: regulating negative emotions and improving processing speed. People with MS who underwent the four-week mindfulness training not only improved more compared to those who did nothing – they also improved compared to those who tried another treatment,...
Tag: <span>cognitive</span>
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If your memory feels like it’s not what it once was, it could point to a future dementia risk
by University of New South Wales Research led by Dr. Katya Numbers from UNSW’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) has shown that certain presentations of memory concerns by older adults are predictive of future dementia. The findings published today in PLOS ONEhighlight the importance of general practitioners in listening to their older adult patient...
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Low vitamin D, smoking predict worse cognitive function in MS
(HealthDay)—For multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with clinically isolated syndrome, lower vitamin D and smoking predict worse long-term cognitive function and neuronal integrity, according to a study published online April 16 in Neurology. Marianna Cortese, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Bergen in Norway, and colleagues conducted a study involving 278 patients with clinically isolated syndrome...
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Tetris gameplay reveals complex cognitive skills
by Torie Wells, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute In a fraction of a second, a colorful digital block shaped like the letter “L” falls from the top of the computer screen. In even less time, fingers float across a controller, striking the arrow keys in rapid succession to rotate the figure so it falls in line with...
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Dietary supplement boosts cognitive function in vegetarians
Vegetarians showed greater visual memory gains than meat eaters after taking creatine AMERICAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY Orlando, Fla. (April 8, 2019)–Vegetarians who take the dietary supplement creatine may enjoy improved brain function, according to a new study. The research will be presented today at the American Physiological Society’s (APS) annual meeting at Experimental Biology 2019 in Orlando, Fla. Creatine is a chemical...
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An impaired sense of smell can signal cognitive decline, but ‘smell training’ could help
As we age, we often have problems with our ability to smell (called olfactory dysfunction). Older people might not be able to identify an odour or differentiate one odour from another. In some cases they might not be able to detect an odour at all. Odour identification difficulties are common in people with neurodegenerative diseases,...
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Meta-analysis highlights important challenges in cognitive processing for adults with ASD
The first comprehensive, systematic review and meta–analysis of adults with autism shows that despite having an intact IQ, these adults have medium to large impairments in four key social- and non-social cognitive domains: theory of mind, emotion perception and knowledge, processing speed, and verbal learning and memory. Credit: CC0 Public Domain The results may help create a roadmap for treating autism in adults, a population...
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Extended napping could cause cognitive decline in older people
Regular naps may be one of the privileges of retirement but research is pointing to napping as a contributor to the cognitive decline. Scientists are now testing the idea that older people should instead meditate or learn a language to preserve brainpower and wellbeing. Brain scans can help reveal which activities promote cognitive health in...
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Mindfulness meditation: 10 minutes a day improves cognitive function
Practicing mindfulness meditation for 10 minutes a day improves concentration and the ability to keep information active in one’s mind, a function known as “working memory”. The brain achieves this by becoming more efficient, literally requiring fewer brain resources to do these tasks. Many big claims have been made about the effects of meditation, but...
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Livio AI Hearing Aids with Physical and Cognitive Health Monitoring
Starkey, one of the big hearing aid firms, is releasing a new device that works as a combination hearing aid, fitness monitor, and, surprisingly, as a tracker of cognitive health. In addition to all this, the new Livio AI hearing aids feature integrated language translation, connectivity to Amazon Alexa devices, and the ability to measure...