cognitive function

13 Stories

After 3 Months of Wasabi, Subjects Saw 'Dramatic Change'

Those who ingested wasabi saw 'dramatic change' in participants' short- and long-term memory

(Newser) - Want to boost your memory? Smear some extra wasabi on your sushi. That's the findings out of Japan's Tohoku University, where a team of scientists have found that indulging in the spicy green condiment can improve both short-term and long-term memory. In the double-blind, randomized study published in...

Rats Have Imaginations, Too


Rats Have
Imaginations,
Just Like
We Do
new study

Rats Have Imaginations, Just Like We Do

Study has wide-ranging implications, and not just for rodents

(Newser) - Humans aren't the only creatures in the animal kingdom with imaginations, a new study suggests. It seems that rats are in the club, too, reports Scientific American . In a series of remarkable experiments, researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Virginia concluded that rats are capable of visualizing...

Giving Cash to Poor Moms May Help Babies' Brains
Cash Aid to Moms May
Result in Smarter Babies
new study

Cash Aid to Moms May Result in Smarter Babies

Study shows gains in development for infants

(Newser) - It's a study loaded with political implications—researchers say giving cash aid to low-income mothers appears to help the brain development of their babies. The New York Times reports the difference spotted after one year is modest, the equivalent of "moving to the 75th position in a line...

NFL to Stop 'Race-Norming'
NFL to Stop 
'Race-Norming'

NFL to Stop 'Race-Norming'

Black players' claims of brain injuries will be reviewed

(Newser) - The NFL on Wednesday pledged to halt the use of “race-norming”—which assumed Black players started out with lower cognitive function—in the $1 billion settlement of brain injury claims and review past scores for any potential race bias, the AP reports. The practice made it harder for...

Biden's Response to Reporter: 'Are You a Junkie?'

CBS' Errol Barnett had asked if the candidate had taken a cognitive test

(Newser) - Joe Biden confirmed he has not taken a cognitive test in a testy exchange with a CBS reporter—and it sounds like he definitely doesn't intend to. "Why the hell would I take a test? Come on, man," the 77-year-old said in response to a question from...

Trump Brags About Cognitive Test, Says Biden Should Take It

'Now, Joe should take that test, because something’s going on'

(Newser) - President Trump says his cognitive test results wowed doctors —and now he's urging Joe Biden to take the same test. Being president of the United States requires "stamina," "physical health," and "mental health," Trump said in a Fox News interview Wednesday, so...

Trump Boasts About Wowing Doctors on Cognitive Test

"They said, 'That’s an unbelievable thing. Rarely does anybody do what you just did'"

(Newser) - The two men expected to face each other in the general election have a combined age of 151, which is one reason why both keep taking digs at each other about mental fitness. In an interview with Sean Hannity Thursday night, President Trump suggested he did not think that Joe...

Too Little Sleep Is Same for Brain as Too Much Booze

UCLA study zeros in on how individual cells slow down during sleep deprivation

(Newser) - When you don't get enough sleep, parts of your brain are going to take catnaps the next day, even while you're ostensibly up and awake, a new study suggests. The results can have real-world consequences, says lead researcher Itzhak Fried of UCLA, who uses the example of a...

There's a Delicious Way to Fight Dementia

 There's a Delicious 
 Way to Fight Dementia 
NEW STUDY

There's a Delicious Way to Fight Dementia

Study: Blueberries boost cognitive function in those with mild impairments

(Newser) - Think your memory is starting to slip? Start munching on blueberries. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati say chowing down on the "superfruit" may help treat patients with cognitive impairments. Elaborating on earlier research that showed animals who consumed blueberries saw improved cognitive function, scientists conducted two studies: In...

Apes May Be Closer to Speaking Than We Thought

Koko the gorilla can produce nine distinct vocalization and breathing behaviors

(Newser) - Researchers have long assumed that speaking is an impossibility for apes because they can't properly control their vocalizations or their breathing. But now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin is reporting in the journal Animal Cognition that apes may in fact be closer to talking than we...

Want to Nag Your Spouse About Health? Use This Study

If his or her health is poor as you age, your quality of life may suffer

(Newser) - Learning a new language might help you fight the effects of aging, but new research out of the University of Arizona suggests at least two factors affecting your quality of life are out of your hands—and in those of your spouse. Over six years, 8,000 married couples...

To Keep Memory Greased, Go Mediterranean


 To Keep Memory 
 Greased, Go 
 Mediterranean 
STUDY SAYS

To Keep Memory Greased, Go Mediterranean

Diet with olive oil, nuts, may slow cognitive decline: study

(Newser) - A Mediterranean diet doesn't just add years to your life , it may also help you remember those years more clearly. A small study suggests a diet high in vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, plus olive oil or nuts, can improve memory and brain power, Reuters reports. Researchers in Barcelona...

Early, Chronic Stoners Always in a Haze: Study

Heavy tokers score lower on cognitive tests

(Newser) - Stoners who start smoking pot heavily before the age of 16 score significantly lower on cognitive tests than their non-toking counterparts—and worse than those who become stoners later in life, according to researchers. The average age of those studied was 22, and researchers defined a chronic marijuana user as...

13 Stories