10/29/2009 - 3:49pm

Sometimes, Sugar Might Be Good For You

We all know by now that sugar is generally not a good thing for our bodies- empty calories, diabetes, bad for your teeth- there is not much to be said for sugar...until now.

Prof. Roy Baumeister, in his psychology lab at Florida State University in Tallahassee, asked subjects to perform a mentally taxing task (watching video while being careful to ignore random words scrolling across the bottom of the screen).

10/27/2009 - 12:08pm

Scientists Find Way to Reverse Insomnia-Induced Cognitive Impairment

Sleep deprivation affects cognitive function and learning and memory are the cognitive functions most affected by lack of sleep. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have identified a molecular pathway in the brain that causes the cognitive impairment due to insomnia. They have also found that by reducing the concentration of a specific enzyme that builds up in the hippocampus, they can reduce the inability to focus, learn or memorize that is symptomatic of sleep deprivation.

10/26/2009 - 9:38am

Music and the Brain

Several interesting studies about Music and the Brain were presented at the 158th Acoustical Society of America meeting that was held in San Antonio in October.

Music Can Train the Brain

One study of the brain’s electrical and magnetic signals showed that musical training changes the auditory cortex-the part of the brain where the processing of sound takes place.

09/24/2009 - 11:52am

Chemotherapy Affects More Than Memory

Although chemotherapy saves the lives of millions of cancer patients each year, it takes a significant toll on the cognitive function and emotional lives of the survivors.

08/27/2009 - 9:09am

Multitasking and Multitaskers- More Means Less

Today it seems to be the norm to be multi tasking- doing more than one thing at a time. We get more and more information from different sources, which we are expected to process and handle.
 
Multitasking- no matter what form it takes- means that our brains must use their “executive control function” which is associated with the brain’s prefrontal cortex and the parietal cortex.
 

08/20/2009 - 3:01pm

Texting and Driving Don’t Mix

We’ve written about how dangerous it is to talk on a cell phone while driving. Driving demands a great deal of cognitive investment from every single driver, no matter how old or young they are, no matter how experienced they are. Driving is a very complicated task and any activity that takes our attention away from the task on hand, reduces our driving ability and makes driving more dangerous.

08/17/2009 - 3:13pm

Cognitive Skills and Left Turns: Senior drivers have asked why it is harder for them to make left turns

A study produced by the Center for Transportation Studies at the Texas Transportation Institute for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, which examined data on crashes in Texas during the 1975-1999 period, found that the probability that an older driver will be involved in a left-turn crash increases with age.

According to U.S. department of transportation statistics for 1994 older adults were nine times more likely to be turning left when involved in an accident.

07/23/2009 - 10:17am

Driving, Cell Phones and Cognitive Abilities

Cell phone use while driving has been in the news lately. The NY Times recently reported about safety research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NHTSA concluded that cell phone use and driving don’t mix well, but these conclusions were never released to the public. Many states are discussing whether to pass legislation banning cell phone use while driving. Other states and officials dismiss the dangers inherent in driving and talking on the phone.

Is talking on a cell phone while driving dangerous?

Here are some figures:

07/16/2009 - 10:42am

Is Twitter making us “Bird Brains”?

By now you have probably heard all about Twitter, the popular micro-blogging service. The service allows people to quickly update their audience of “followers” using no more than 140 characters. It has proven to be a powerful way to rapidly communicate about all kinds of things – ranging from superficial to significant.

03/08/2009 - 3:39pm

CogniFit Assessment

When people ask about what makes CogniFit brain fitness programs so different from others, I usually tell them that there are many answers to that question.

And that’s true. But it really all begins with the assessment we provide before you start your training.