From Silicon Valley executives swearing by morning runs to schools adding PE to boost test scores, the idea that exercise makes you smarter has become almost gospel. But what does the neuroscience actually show? The answer is encouraging — but more nuanced than the headlines suggest. Key Takeaway: Regular aerobic …
Exploring Cognitive and Brain Development Through GALAMMs
Sørensen, Fjell, and Walhovd’s 2023 research introduces Generalized Additive Latent and Mixed Models (GALAMMs), a methodological advancement designed for analyzing complex clustered data. This approach holds particular relevance for cognitive neuroscience, offering robust tools for examining how cognitive and neural traits develop over time. Background Traditional models used in cognitive …
Peering into Decision Making: Exploration of Modeling Eye Movements
The study by Wedel, Pieters, and van der Lans (2023) reviews advancements in modeling eye movements to understand decision-making processes. Eye tracking offers valuable insights into perceptual and cognitive mechanisms, making it a powerful tool for studying how individuals evaluate and make decisions. Background Eye movement studies have been instrumental …
Cognitive Deficits in Post-Acute COVID-19 Patients
This post reviews findings from Hampshire et al. (2022), which analyzed the cognitive impacts of severe COVID-19. The study provides valuable data on the relationship between acute illness severity and long-term cognitive outcomes, offering insights into the potential recovery process and highlighting the unique profile of deficits observed in survivors. …
Early-Life Penicillin Exposure: Gut Microbiome and Brain Gene Expression
Volkova et al. (2021) investigated the effects of early-life exposure to low-dose penicillin on the gut microbiome and gene expression in brain regions critical for neurodevelopment. Using a mouse model, the study provides important insights into how antibiotics may influence the gut-brain axis and potentially contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders. Background …
Gut Microbiota and Neurodevelopment in Infancy
The relationship between gut microbiota and neurodevelopment has been a growing area of interest in recent years. Tamana et al. (2021) provide compelling evidence of how gut microbiota composition in late infancy correlates with cognitive, language, and motor development, particularly among male infants. Background Gut microbiota, often referred to as …
Decision Acuity and Its Impact on Mental Health
Moutoussis et al. (2021) introduce “decision acuity” as a measurable cognitive construct distinct from intelligence quotient (IQ). Their research investigates how decision acuity relates to mental health, social functioning, and brain connectivity, offering new insights into the interplay between cognition and psychopathology. Background Decision-making has long been recognized as a …
White Matter Microstructure and Cognitive Performance
Holleran et al. (2020) investigated the relationship between white matter microstructure and cognitive ability in patients with schizophrenia and healthy individuals. Drawing on data from the ENIGMA Consortium, the study analyzed how global and regional white matter connectivity relates to cognitive performance, offering a comprehensive perspective on the structural underpinnings …
The Link Between Dysphoria and Memory
Hubbard et al. (2015) examined the relationship between dysphoria and working memory (WM) capacity, focusing on how depressive thoughts influence cognitive performance. Their findings provide important insights into how mood-congruent processing may interfere with goal-oriented tasks, highlighting potential reasons for memory and concentration difficulties often reported by individuals with depressive …