Summary: Toddlers who excel at pretend play are significantly less likely to experience emotional and behavioral difficulties by the time they reach primary school. A major longitudinal study tracked over…
Tag: cognition
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…
Edge of Chaos: Why Pigeons Refuse to Become “Machines”
Summary: If you found a guaranteed way to get a reward, you’d probably stick to it, right? According to a new study, pigeons aren’t that predictable. Researchers tested the century-old…
Blood Test Predicts Long-Term Cognitive Function After Cardiac Arrest
Summary: A new study suggests that measuring neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels 48 hours after a cardiac arrest can accurately predict a survivor’s long-term cognitive health. Researchers compared NfL to…
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,…
Thought Begins Before We’re Born
Summary: New research using human brain organoids shows that early neural activity follows structured, time-based patterns long before sensory experience begins. These findings suggest the human brain comes preconfigured with…
Human Mind Prefers Simple Explanations Over Complex Truths
Summary: New research shows that people tend to prefer simple explanations even when complex ones are more accurate. The study found that individuals focus mainly on visible or known causes…
