cognitive decline

Low-intensity electrical stimulation allows older adults to better recall a list of words for at least a month following the treatment, a study finds, providing further evidence for the debated idea that electrical stimulation can enhance cognitive performance.

Observational evidence for the connection is solidifying, and some clues are emerging about the mechanisms that may explain it.

Niacin, a form of vitamin B3 used to treat cardiovascular disease, helps immune cells in the brain fight neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s in mice models, according to recent studies. Researchers hope that human clinical trials will swiftly follow.

A new study reveals a network of neurons that, when disrupted, impairs adaptation to new circumstances in several types of dementia.

Mice lacking irisin didn’t exhibit the cognition improvements that typically follow exercise, and in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease, treatment with the hormone reduced cognitive decline.

Mice and flies given the polyamine in their diet have increased brain cell metabolism and cognitive function, and epidemiological data hints at a similar benefit in humans.

Accumulation of the protein was more likely to be found in the brains of people who slept less well years earlier, according to a new study.

People who show low social engagement over long periods of time often show reductions in cognitive function. Studies of the brain may provide clues about this correlation.

Absence of human contact is associated with declines in cognitive function. But as the COVID-19 pandemic brings concerns about the potential harms of isolation to the fore, researchers are still hunting for concrete evidence of a causal role as well as possible mechanisms.

Digital biomarkers of cognitive decline could alert us to the early stages of dementia before irreversible damage occurs.

A woman whose DNA suggested she’d develop early-onset dementia staved off cognitive decline for decades.

A growing body of evidence supports the theory that neural hyperactivity and hyperconnectivity precede the pathological changes that lead to neurodegeneration.

AI models can pick up subtle alterations in linguistic and vocal attributes of spoken language that may be indicative of failing health.

The agency warns that plasma treatments costing thousands of dollars, which supposedly treat the infirmities of old age, have not been proven “safe or effective.”

A study compares verbal and math test scores to air quality measurements in China and finds a correlation.

The test uses levels of plasma amyloid-β to estimate the buildup of protein plaques in the brain.

A team of Stanford University researchers say that administering young people’s blood plasma to Alzheimer’s patients could improve cognitive function, but the results have been criticized.

Researchers are piecing together the links between the gut microbiome and mental health.

A literature review finds little evidence that commercial brain-training games can improve everyday cognitive performance, citing methodological shortcomings.