Cognitive Science

A new study suggests that standard depression screenings might not work for people with high IQs. Researchers found that as intelligence rises, the questions on these tests lose their ability to measure mental health accurately.

Adolescents who consume sugary beverages every day are more likely to report cognitive struggles. A recent analysis suggests that the resulting lack of sleep is a primary factor connecting sugary drinks to reduced mental clarity.

Toddlers who consume processed meats and sugary snacks may face cognitive hurdles later in childhood. Research published in the British Journal of Nutrition suggests unhealthy eating at age two is linked to lower intelligence scores at school age.

New findings suggest digital media alters the specific categories of words toddlers acquire. Researchers found that video consumption is associated with knowing fewer body part words, regardless of the total number of words a child knows.

A new study published in Nature reveals the hippocampus does more than store memories. Researchers found that neural patterns in mice reorganize over time, shifting activity backward to anticipate rewards before they happen.

Outsourcing your thinking to AI might be eroding your ability to reason. A new commentary warns that "cognitive debt" poses a critical threat to science, suggesting that bypassing mental struggle could stunt future human capabilities.

For decades, scientists hunted for a specific "seat" of intelligence. A new analysis of the human connectome suggests they were looking at the wrong scale: intelligence emerges from the global coordination of the entire brain.

New research suggests that a high-fat, high-sugar breakfast reduces cognitive planning abilities and increases sleepiness in young women. The study indicates that sugary meals trigger a parasympathetic response rather than preparing the body for work.

Scientists have mapped a pathway from the stomach to the brain, showing how a high-salt diet causes anxiety and cognitive impairment by disrupting the delicate balance of the microbiome.

A study using EEG technology suggests the neural pathways linking genes to intelligence are not static. While young adults rely on executive networks, older adults appear to depend more on sensory processing regions.

A study of 86,000 adults across Europe links multilingualism to slower biological aging. Researchers found that people who speak multiple languages tend to maintain better cognitive function and physical health than their monolingual peers.

Inhaling a specific essential oil blend appears to enhance cognitive performance and alertness in healthy adults

A study of 24,000 neurons suggests the brain’s executive center is organized by information hierarchy, not physical structure. The findings upend traditional anatomical maps and offer new insights into cognitive processing.

Economists have long puzzled over why risk-avoidance and impatience go hand-in-hand. A new study identifies the culprit: the overwhelming power of dread, which makes waiting for uncertain outcomes psychologically painful.

A new study of over 6,000 brain scans overturns the idea that global efficiency drives intelligence. Instead, researchers found that the specific connectivity patterns of individual brain regions are the true predictors of cognitive ability.