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 Mon, 12 May 2008 20:05:01 EDT Mon, 12 May 2008 20:05:01 EDT 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/2008/05/080512163859.htm Multiple sclerosis typically starts in young adulthood, but about five percent of cases start in childhood or the teen years. Children with MS are at risk to exhibit low IQ scores and problems with memory, attention and other thinking skills, according to a new study in Neurology. Tue, 13 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512163859.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512115927.htm Those with at least a high school education spend more of their older years without cognitive loss -- including the effects of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and dementia -- but die sooner after the loss becomes apparent, reveals a new study in the Journal of Aging and Health. Tue, 13 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512115927.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512163845.htm The anti-inflammatory drugs naproxen and celecoxib do not appear to improve cognitive function in older adults with a family history of Alzheimer's disease, and naproxen may have a slightly detrimental effect, according to a new article. Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512163845.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512141456.htm New complex motor skills are acquired following practice and this is associated with changes in brain activation. During the early cognitive stage, rapid improvements in movement accuracy and timing occur. Further training leads to automaticity, allowing us to perform the movement without even thinking about it. Several regions in the brain become activated when controlling our movements, and these regions differ according to the mental effort that is required to perform them. Accordingly, brain areas involved in skilful performance are not identical in early and late practice phases. Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512141456.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080509152307.htm Emotional memories of traumatic life events such as accidents, war experiences or serious illnesses are stored in a particularly robust way by the brain. This renders effective treatment very difficult. Researchers have now successfully tracked down the molecular bases of these strong, very persistent memories. Sun, 11 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080509152307.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507152419.htm Children who speak a second or third language may have an unexpected advantage later in life, a new study has found. Knowing and speaking many languages may protect the brain against the effects of aging. Thu, 08 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507152419.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507083934.htm In a new study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers have determined in mouse models that modulating the activity of enkephalin peptides in the brain might reduce the cognitive deficits seen in Alzheimer's disease. Thu, 08 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507083934.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505075642.htm Brain-training efforts designed to improve working memory can also boost scores in general problem-solving ability and improve fluid intelligence, according to new research. Many psychologists believe general intelligence can be separated into "fluid" and "crystalline" components. Fluid intelligence --- considered one of the most important factors in learning --- applies to all problems while crystallized intelligence consists of skills useful for specific tasks. Tue, 06 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505075642.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162902.htm Prolonged and exclusive nursing improves children's cognitive development. The largest randomized study of breastfeeding ever conducted reports that breastfeeding raises children's IQs, and improves their academic performance, scientists say. Tue, 06 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162902.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080504095631.htm Almost one-third of US parents have a surprisingly low-level knowledge of typical infant development and unrealistic expectations for their child's physical, social and emotional growth. The new findings suggest that such false parenting assumptions can not only impair parent-child interactions, but also rob kids of much-needed cognitive stimulation. Sun, 04 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080504095631.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430201645.htm The risks of developing Alzheimer's disease differ between the sexes, with stroke in men, and depression in women, critical factors, suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. Fri, 02 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430201645.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430105600.htm The latest edition of the Oxford English Dictionary boasts 22,000 pages of definitions. While that may seem far from succinct, new research suggests the reference manual is meticulously organized to be as concise as possible -- a format that mirrors the way our brains make sense of and categorize the countless words in our vast vocabulary. Thu, 01 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430105600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423121427.htm By blocking certain mechanisms that control the way that nerve cells in the brain communicate, scientists have been able to prevent visual recognition memory in rats. This demonstrates they have identified cellular and molecular mechanisms in the brain that may provide a key to understanding processes of recognition memory. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423121427.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424092752.htm The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has discovered a new form of intellectual disability involving mental retardation along with the eye defect retinitis pigmentosa. CAMH also discovered the previously unidentified gene that causes this disorder, CC2D2A. This scientific advance will help understand the developmental and biological processes involved in brain development, and may help identify ways to diagnose and treat intellectual disabilities. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424092752.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423121430.htm Human imaging studies have for the first time identified brain circuitry associated with social status. Researchers found that different brain areas are activated when a person moves up or down in a pecking order -- or simply views perceived social superiors or inferiors. Circuitry activated by important events responded to a potential change in hierarchical status as much as it did to winning money, reflecting its influential role in human motivation and health. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423121430.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421154850.htm A new neuroimaging study aims to ensure the highest quality of life for patients by assessing their cognitive skills before, during, and after brain tumor surgery. This is done by mapping the important functional brain areas surrounding the tumor in order to decrease the risks during surgery. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421154850.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422103947.htm A commonly used chemotherapy drug causes healthy brain cells to die off long after treatment has ended and may be one of the underlying biological causes of the cognitive side effects -- or "chemo brain" -- that many cancer patients experience. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422103947.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417172623.htm Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the brain affecting movement, speech, mood, behavior, thinking and sensation for which there is no known cause or cure. Two new studies shed new light on very early development of the disease. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417172623.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417211539.htm Anticholinergic drugs, such as medicines for stomach cramps, ulcers, motion sickness and urinary incontinence, may cause older people to experience greater decline in their thinking skills than people not taking the drugs. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417211539.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417145752.htm A first of its kind study finds breastfeeding while taking certain seizure medications does not appear to harm a child's cognitive development. Researchers tested the cognitive development of 187 two-year-old children whose mothers were taking the epilepsy drugs lamotrigine, carbamazepine, phenytoin, or valproate. Forty-one percent of the children were breastfed. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417145752.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421111640.htm Thought-listing exercises are frequently used by researchers to gauge people's reactions to advertisements. But new research suggests two alternative methods that may more accurately reveal what consumers actually notice. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421111640.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416100459.htm People who score high on intelligence tests are also good at keeping time, new Swedish research shows. The team that carried out the study also suspect that accuracy in timing is important to the brain processes responsible for problem solving and reasoning. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416100459.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417173453.htm Aerobic exercise could give older adults a boost in brainpower, according to a recent review of studies from the Netherlands. "Aerobic physical exercises that improve cardiovascular fitness also help boost cognitive processing speed, motor function and visual and auditory attention in healthy older people," said the lead review author. Around age 50, even healthy older adults begin to experience mild declines in cognition, such as occasional memory lapses and reduced ability to pay attention. Convincing evidence shows that regular exercise contributes to healthy aging, but could the types of exercise a person does influence his or her cognitive fitness? Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417173453.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417105449.htm Sign language interpreting is one of the highest-risk professions for ergonomic injury, according to a new study. The research indicates that interpreting causes more physical stress to the extremities than high-risk tasks conducted in industrial settings, including assembly line work. Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417105449.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416152000.htm When it comes to remembering things, new research shows men are more likely than women to have mild cognitive impairment, the transition stage before dementia. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416152000.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415154225.htm Women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer frequently report problems with memory and concentration, but two new studies suggest that chemotherapy is not the cause of these problems, and the stress of the diagnosis may be. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415154225.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416140934.htm For people with chronic epilepsy, little is known about the impact of aging on the course of cognitive and brain health, the prevalence of clinical disorders of aging (mild cognitive impairment, dementia), or the disease burdens and risk factors associated with abnormal cognitive and brain aging. A new article presents data that suggest several reasons for concern. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416140934.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410115405.htm If you are getting forgetful as you get older, then scientists may have good news for you. They have found that phytochemical-rich foods, such as blueberries, are effective at reversing age-related deficits in memory. Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410115405.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409150107.htm Using a guinea pig model that can assess neural changes in offspring born to mothers given methamphetamine during an otherwise normal pregnancy, researchers provide new evidence for the cognitive damage of these drugs. Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409150107.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409114622.htm Research shows middle-aged and elderly people in poor neighborhoods 'significantly more likely' to suffer mobility and cognitive problems. The type of neighborhood you live in has an important effect on your health in later life, according to the researchers. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409114622.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407160731.htm A new study supports the idea that depression is truly a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease rather than a subtle early sign of its underlying pathology. The study found no evidence of an increase in depressive symptoms during the prodromal phase before the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407160731.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153401.htm Alzheimer's disease may be what most people fear as they grow older, but autopsy data from a long-range study of 3,400 men and women in the Seattle region found that the brains of a third of those who had become demented before death showed evidence of small vessel damage: the type of small, cumulative injury that can come from hypertension or diabetes. Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153401.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404125354.htm An innovative discovery has been reported that highlights the problems that oxidative stress resulting from iron cumulated in the human brain can generate in relation with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, the brain disorder affecting almost 30 million throughout the world. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404125354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402212855.htm A new study shows how our very short-term "working memory," which allows the brain to stitch together sensory information, operates. The system retains a limited number of high-resolution images for a few seconds, rather than a wider range of fuzzier impressions. Humans rarely move their eyes smoothly. As our eyes flit from object to object, the visual system briefly shuts off to cut down visual "noise," said one of the psychologists. So the brain gets a series of snapshots of about a quarter-second, separated by brief gaps. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402212855.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080405165601.htm Scientists have shown that it is possible to repair an injured brain by creating a small number of new, specifically-targeted innervations, rather than a larger number of non-specific connections. Behavioral tests have demonstrated that such reinnervation can thus restore damaged cerebral functions. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080405165601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402211731.htm Mild cognitive impairment -- a state between the normal forgetfulness that comes with aging and the more pronounced thinking deficits of dementia -- often progresses to Alzheimer's disease, but some people remain stable and others recover. New technology is improving the ability to determine who might fall into each category. Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402211731.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404125358.htm A promising vaccine being tested for Alzheimer's disease does what it is designed to do -- clear beta-amyloid plaques from the brain -- but it does not seem to help restore lost learning and memory abilities, according to a new study. Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404125358.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330183235.htm As people age, their brains pay the price -- inflammation goes up, levels of certain neurotransmitters go down, and the result is a plethora of ailments ranging from memory impairment and depression to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. But in a long-term study with implications to treat these and other conditions, researchers have found that an experimental drug, taken chronically, has the ability to stem the effects of aging in the rat brain. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330183235.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331223830.htm Results of a randomized trial show no benefit in cognitive or neuropsychiatric outcomes from continuing neuroleptic drugs in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Almost all older dementia patients will have some neuropsychiatric symptoms. These symptoms can include agitation, aggression, and psychosis. Neuroleptics (sometimes called antipsychotics) are the class of drugs often used to manage or control neuropsychiatric problems, but there have been questions about their safety and appropriateness. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331223830.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326103541.htm Neurons spoke to Dr. Joe Z. Tsien when he was a sophomore college student searching for some meaningful extracurricular activity. He had stopped by the lab of a brain researcher at Shanghai's East China Normal University. The room was dark except for a light shining on the brain. "You could hear this pop, pop, pop, pop," says Dr. Tsien, brain scientist who recently came to the Medical College of Georgia from Boston University. "At that moment, I got interested in the brain." Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326103541.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326190802.htm Gambling addicts don't learn from their mistakes, according to a new study. The problem could be explained by a kind of mental rigidity that leads to harmful compulsive behavior in sufferers. Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326190802.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083304.htm A study conducted with low-income preschoolers attending Head Start found that certain numerical board games increased early math learning. Board games with consecutively numbered, linearly arranged spaces helped children learn about counting, identifying numerals and comparing the sizes of numbers. Children playing an identical game that varied in color rather than number did not improve in these areas. Playing such board games could help lessen discrepancies in early math learning, which predicts later math achievement. Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083304.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324202826.htm We've gotten used to taking pills for everything that ails us, but medications have side effects and cost money. It takes some discipline, but in many cases, the nonpharmacological approach can do as much as pills. Seven common conditions are listed along with treatment options that don't require taking medication. Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324202826.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083329.htm A new study using new methods to examine the dynamics of wealth found that family wealth might partly explain differences in test scores of school-age children, and examined how wealth affects children's cognitive achievement at different stages of childhood. Wealth had a stronger effect on school aged children than on preschoolers, and had a stronger association with math than reading skills. Family wealth also was positively associated with parenting behavior, home environment, and children's self-esteem. Wed, 26 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083329.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324173545.htm A study in fruit flies has shown that by manipulating levels of certain compounds associated with the "circuitry" of the brain, key genes related to memory can be isolated and tested. The results of the study may benefit human patients suffering from Parkinson's disease and could eventually lead to discoveries in the treatment of depression. Mon, 24 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324173545.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320105546.htm A new study in the Journal of School Health reveals that children with healthy diets perform better in school than children with unhealthy diets. Students with an increased fruit and vegetable intake and less caloric intake from fat were significantly less likely to fail the literacy assessment. Sat, 22 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320105546.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319152426.htm Approximately 25 percent of breast cancer survivors experience mild to moderate memory, concentration and cognitive problems known as "chemobrain". A new study has documented the extent of changes to the brain's white matter in women who received chemotherapy for breast cancer. Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319152426.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318124436.htm More than a third of people over age 70 have some form of memory loss according to a national study. While an estimated 3.4 million Americans have dementia, defined as a loss of the ability to function independently, the researchers estimate that another 5.4 million over age 70 have memory loss that disrupts their regular routine but is not severe enough to affect their ability to complete daily activities. Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318124436.htm