Summary: A new study filled a critical diagnostic gap regarding substance use during the early warning phases of mental illness. Investigating adolescents and young adults at clinical high risk for…
Category: cognition
Toggling Embodied Cognition via the Rubber Hand Illusion
Summary: A psychological replication study established an empirical link between a person’s abstract psychological identity and their physical, bodily awareness. The research utilizes the classic “rubber hand illusion” to demonstrate…
Brain Region Discovered for Abstract Thought
Summary: Researchers discovered the first definitive neural evidence of how the brain creates and reuses abstract symbols to think creatively. The research tracks the neural substrates of “compositional generalization”, the…
The Myth of the Average Brain
Summary: Averaging brain scan data across groups can fundamentally mislead scientists about how the human brain actually works. By analyzing functional MRI data from over 4,000 children individually, researchers discovered…
Daily “Mental Sharpness” Dictates Productivity
Summary: Have you ever wondered why some days you’re a powerhouse of productivity and others you’re “pushing through fog”? A new study has quantified this feeling. Researchers found that day-to-day…
Prenatal Lead Exposure Affects the Aging Brain
Summary: The consequences of lead exposure may take six decades to fully manifest. A remarkable study has linked lead exposure during the second trimester of pregnancy to lower cognitive performance…
Brain Blends Fast and Slow Signals to Shape Human Thought
Summary: Researchers mapped the brain connectivity of 960 individuals to uncover how fast and slow neural processes unite to support complex behavior. They found that intrinsic neural timescales—each region’s characteristic…
Cognitive Profiles in Schizophrenia Are Being Ignored
Summary: A major scientific review reveals a deep knowledge gap in how cognition is affected when schizophrenia and personality disorders occur together. Despite the high prevalence and severe outcomes tied…
Creativity Key to Slowing Brain Aging
Summary: Regular creative activity is linked to a younger-looking brain and slower brain aging, according to a large international brain-imaging analysis. People who regularly danced, made music, created visual art,…
