http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/intelligence/ Intelligence - nature or nurture? Researchers find a gene for intelligence and also that a bigger brain matters, yet other recent articles show how motivation affects learning. en-us Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:05:02 EST Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:05:02 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/intelligence/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116165737.htm In a study that promises to improve diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer's disease, scientists have developed a fast and accurate method for quantifying subtle, sub-regional brain volume loss using magnetic resonance imaging. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116165737.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193632.htm They were in a deep sleep, yet sounds, such as a teakettle whistle, somehow penetrated their slumber. The 25 sounds were reminders of earlier spatial learning, though the research participants were unaware of the sounds as they slept. Yet, upon waking, memory tests showed that spatial memories had changed. Deep sleep, then, is actually is a key time for memory processing, the study suggests. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193632.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193626.htm Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have a number of cognitive deficits. Mathematical ability seems particularly damaged in children with FASD. A new study supports the importance of the left parietal area for mathematical abilities in children with FASD. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193626.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111339.htm For years, it has been widely assumed that older adults may experience memory loss and other cognitive problems following surgery. But a new study questions that assumption. In the 575 patients they studied, the investigators did not detect any long-term cognitive declines attributable to surgery. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111339.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118143207.htm At birth, children with Down syndrome aren't developmentally delayed. But as they age, these kids fall behind. Memory deficits inherent in Down syndrome hinder learning, making it hard for the brain to collect experiences needed for normal cognitive development. Scientists have now demonstrated a possible new approach to slowing the inevitable progression of cognitive decline found in Down syndrome. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118143207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111417.htm Search engine use is not just part of our daily routines; it is also becoming part of our learning process, according to researchers. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111417.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117124009.htm Tiny insects could be as intelligent as much bigger animals, despite only having a brain the size of a pinhead, say scientists. Animals with bigger brains are not necessarily more intelligent. This begs the important question: what are they for? Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117124009.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118133535.htm IBM has announced significant progress toward creating a computer system that simulates and emulates the brain's abilities for sensation, perception, action, interaction and cognition, while rivaling the brain's low power and energy consumption and compact size. Scientists have performed the first near real-time cortical simulation of the brain that exceeds the scale of a cat cortex and contains 1 billion spiking neurons and 10 trillion individual learning synapses. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118133535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117143413.htm Brain imaging can offer a window into risk for diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. A new study has demonstrated that genetic risk is expressed in the brains of even those who are healthy, but carry some risk for AD. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117143413.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083257.htm Using data from the late 1970s, researchers have looked at almost 200 children ages 3 to 9 in Belize, Kenya, Nepal and American Samoa to determine whether modernization changes have had an effect on the thinking skills that are learned over the course of childhood. Results show that children in communities with more modern resources performed better in some areas of cognitive functioning and that they took part in more complex sequences of play. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083257.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173614.htm After one year, a low-calorie, low-fat diet appears more beneficial to dieters' mood than a low-carbohydrate plan with the same number of calories, according to a new report. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173614.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173724.htm The long-held theory that our brains use different mechanisms for forming long-term and short-term memories has been challenged by new research. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173724.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105347.htm Researchers have discovered a mechanism that controls the brain's ability to create lasting memories. In experiments on genetically manipulated mice, they were able to switch on and off the animals' ability to form lasting memories by adding a substance to their drinking water. The findings are of potential significance to the future treatment of Alzheimer's and stroke. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105347.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173714.htm Individuals with weaker muscles appear to have a higher risk for Alzheimer's disease and declines in cognitive function over time, according to a new report. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173714.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173600.htm Human embryonic stem cells could help people with learning and memory deficits after radiation treatment for brain tumors, suggests a new study. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109174256.htm Handwriting skills are crucial for success in school, communication, and building children's self-esteem. The first study to examine handwriting quality in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has uncovered a relationship between fine motor control and poor quality of handwriting in children with ASD. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109174256.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171211.htm A new study finds that golfers with obstructive sleep apnea who received nasal positive airway pressure for their disorder improved their daytime sleepiness scores and lowered their golf handicap by as much as three strokes. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171211.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104091724.htm Literary Arabic is expressed in the brain of an Arabic speaker as a second language and not as a mother tongue, according to a new study. The research offers an explanation for the objective and day-to-day difficulties that confront Arabic-speaking students when attempting to learn to read the non-spoken language. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104091724.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028134637.htm Bad drivers may in part have their genes to blame, suggests a new study by neuroscientists. People with a particular gene variant performed more than 20 percent worse on a driving test than people without it -- and a follow-up test a few days later yielded similar results. About 30 percent of Americans have the variant. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028134637.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161521.htm Research has shown that diabetes increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease and the risk of memory loss in people who don't have Alzheimer's disease. But it hasn't been clear whether people with Alzheimer's disease and diabetes have more rapid memory loss than those who have Alzheimer's disease but no diabetes. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161521.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026125401.htm A research collaboration of biologists and neuroscientists has found a molecular pathway in the brain that is the cause of cognitive impairment due to sleep deprivation. Just as important, the team believes that the cognitive deficits caused by sleep deprivation, such as an inability to focus, learn or memorize, may be reversible by reducing the concentration of a specific enzyme that builds up in the hippocampus of the brain. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026125401.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091023102428.htm New animal studies suggest that memory and other cognitive problems experienced by cocaine-addicted people can result directly from the cocaine abuse in addition to pre-existing traits or lifestyle factors. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091023102428.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021172655.htm Rats exposed to high doses of amphetamines at an age that corresponds to the later years of human adolescence display significant memory deficits as adults -- long after the exposure ends, researchers report. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021172655.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122647.htm Over-expressing a gene that lets brain cells communicate just a fraction of a second longer makes a smarter rat. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019134707.htm Scientists have found that middle-aged and older adults with little Internet experience were able to trigger key centers in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning after just one week of surfing the Web. The findings suggest that Internet training can stimulate neural activation patterns and could potentially enhance brain function and cognition in older adults. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019134707.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091018141559.htm Exercise is a key factor in improving both memory and mood after whole-brain radiation treatments in rodents, according to new research. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091018141559.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151807.htm For a considerable time already there has been discussion within scientific circles about whether knowing and using multiple languages could possibly have positive effects on the human brain and thinking. There have been a number of international studies on the subject, which indicate that the ability to use more than one language brings an individual a considerable advantage. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151807.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091018171806.htm New data about amyloid precursor protein, or APP, a protein implicated in development of Alzheimer's disease, suggests it also may have a positive role -- directly affecting learning and memory during brain development. So is APP good or bad? Researchers say both, and that a balance of APP is critical. Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091018171806.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015123552.htm By directly manipulating the activity of individual neurons, scientists have given flies memories of a bad experience they never really had, according to a new report. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015123552.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015141500.htm Researchers have made a significant breakthrough in explaining gaps in our understanding of human brain function. The study provides a picture of language processing in the brain with unprecedented clarity. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015141500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014144738.htm For an animal that has a brain about the size of two grains of sand, a lot of plasticity seems to be packed into the head of the tropical paper wasp Polybia aequatorialis. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014144738.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014130704.htm A unique study of former guerrillas in Colombia has helped scientists redefine their understanding of the key regions of the brain involved in literacy. The study has enabled the researchers to see how brain structure changed after learning to read. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014130704.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012230443.htm Cognitive abilities other than memory, including visuospatial skills needed to perceive relationships between objects, may decline years prior to a clinical diagnosis in patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to a new report. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012230443.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008113315.htm Researchers have identified a tool -- the "getting-out-of-bed measure" -- to assess motivation and life outlook in older adults. The study shows that the tool has the potential to be an easy-to-use measure to bolster motivation and thus improve health behaviors and outcomes in the growing population of older adults. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008113315.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012095659.htm While cognitive function can be improved by the medicines currently available for the treatment of dementias, the positive effects of improved socialibility, initiative and motivation on the patient and their carer as well as their capability of coping with everyday life should not be overlooked. The report suggests that care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia needs to be more holistic in approach and that assessment tools used for treatment options are not sensitive enough. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012095659.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006202858.htm Challenge a simple pocket calculator at arithmetic and you may be left in the dust. But even the most sophisticated computer cannot match the reasoning of a youngster who looks outside, sees a fresh snowfall, and knows how to bundle up for the frosty outdoors. For artificial intelligence scientists, enabling computers to have such human-level intelligence requires a commonsense knowledge base that can evolve and learn new things. But it's an elusive goal. Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006202858.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005092302.htm While the human brain responds very differently to religious and nonreligious propositions, the process of believing or disbelieving a statement, whether religious or not, seems to be governed by the same areas in the brain. Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005092302.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007153745.htm A 16-year-old might be quite capable of making an informed decision about whether to end a pregnancy -- a decision likely to be made after due consideration and consultation with an adult -- but this same adolescent may not possess the maturity to be held to adult levels of responsibility if she commits a violent crime, according to new research into adolescent psychological development. Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007153745.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091009092351.htm Spontaneous brain activity formerly thought to be "white noise" measurably changes after a person learns a new task, researchers have shown. Scientists also report that the degree of change reflects how well subjects have learned to perform the task. Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091009092351.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006093349.htm Expectant mothers who eat excessive quantities of licorice during pregnancy could adversely affect their child's intelligence and behavior, a study has shown. A study of 8-year-old children whose mothers ate large amounts of licorice when pregnant found they did not perform as well as other youngsters in cognitive tests. Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006093349.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914172530.htm Among individuals with mild cognitive impairment, often considered a transitional state between normal cognitive function and Alzheimer's dementia, those who have more difficulties performing routine activities appear more likely to progress quickly to dementia, according to a new report. Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914172530.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001081204.htm A new study shows that long-term alcoholism affects sleep even after long periods of abstinence, and the pattern of this effect is similar in both men and women. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001081204.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090930175731.htm A study of female monkeys' grooming habits provides new clues about the way we humans socialize. New research reveals there is a link between the size of the brain, in particular the neocortex which is responsible for higher-level thinking, and the size and number of grooming clusters that monkeys belong to. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090930175731.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928172355.htm A new study suggests that impaired kidney function is a risk factor for cognitive decline in old age. Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928172355.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924141749.htm Using your willpower for one task depletes you of the willpower to do an entirely different task, a new study shows. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924141749.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921161752.htm Inability to handle financial transactions or manage money may be an early indicator that a person with mild memory problems soon is likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. The study examined patients with a condition known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), thought to be a precursor to Alzheimer's. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921161752.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921162150.htm Profound discoveries and insights on the frontiers of science do not burst out of thin air but often arise from incremental processes of weaving together analogies, images, and simulations in a constrained fashion. In cutting-edge science, problems are often ill-defined, and experimental data are limited. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921162150.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921134656.htm According to a new review of neuroscientific research, coercive interrogation techniques used during the Bush administration to extract information from terrorist suspects are likely to have been unsuccessful and may have had many unintended negative effects on the suspect's memory and brain functions. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921134656.htm