Cognition Archives - Knowing Neurons

Cartoon showing unhappy person with pause symbol versus happy people with fast forward symbol

How does understanding time perception help us advance cognitive science?

May 23, 2023May 21, 2023 Vincent A Medina 0 Comments animals, cognitive science, Consciousness, Disease, Perception, Time

by Vincent A. Medina We have all experienced time flying when we are happy and having fun. Conversely, everyone knows how slowly time can drag on when we feel bored… Read more

Brain Development Cognition Did You Know? Psychedelics

What Nicotine Does to the Brain, and the Science of Smoking Cessation

May 11, 2023May 11, 2023 knowingneurons Cigarettes, Drugs, Nicotine, Nicotine Replacement Therapy, NRT, Smoking, Tobacco

By William Pollard According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, success rates for cessation remain low, with only 7.5% of smokers managing to quit smoking entirely. The need… Read more

Cognition Learning and Memory

Have I Read this Before? The Brain Regions Involved in Déjà Vu

March 8, 2023March 8, 2023 Honoreé Brewton deja vu, Epilepsy, Experience, Memory, Psychology

By Honoreé Brewton There are conflicting sources regarding the first usage of the term déjà vu, a French term meaning “already seen” (Merriam-Webster), but it can be traced back to… Read more

Cognition Mental Health Movement

Can Rock Climbing Change Your Brain?

February 28, 2023February 28, 2023 Chris Gabriel brain function, Cerebellum, cognitive behavioral therapy, depression, Exercise, mental health, rock climbing

By Chris Gabriel Rock climbing is as much a puzzle as it is a sport. Anyone could guess that climbing requires a unique combination of athletic skills: muscular power to… Read more

Cognition

This Is Your Brain In Love

February 13, 2023 Mariella Careaga Amygdala, Emotion, Evolution, fMRI, Love, PET, Prefrontal Cortex, Reward, Reward pathway, Valentine’s Day

By Mariella Careaga Just like any other emotion, love has more to do with the brain than you might think. Among all emotions, love seems to have a special place… Read more

Cognition Culture

Brainfluence: How the Digital World Shapes Our Brain

January 31, 2023 Carolin Fischer Cognition, Digital, Information, Neuroplasticity, Operant Conditioning, Social media

By Carolin Fischer When was the last time you looked at your smartphone? Or are you even reading this text on your smartphone right now? In any case, you are… Read more

Cognition Consciousness Learning and Memory

Have You Ever Thought: “How Did I Think That Thought?”

November 15, 2022November 12, 2022 Idha Sood Cognition, Consciousness, Creativity, Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex, Idea, Thought, Working memory

By Idha Sood “Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought.” -Albert Einstein Has an idea popped into your head while having your afternoon… Read more

Cognition Neuroscience Technologies

Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease

September 28, 2022December 30, 2022 Mariella Careaga Alzheimers disease, Amyloid beta, Biomarker, Cognitive Decline, cognitive impariment, CSF, CT scan, dementia, diagnosis, Drugs, invasive testing, Metabolism, misdiagnosis, MRI, PET, Tau, tracer, Treatment

By Mariella Careaga Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder that progressively impacts a person’s cognitive functioning and behavioral capacities, leading, ultimately, to the disruption of that person’s daily life.… Read more

Aging Cognition

Is Aging a Curable Disease?

August 9, 2022February 9, 2023 Arielle Hogan Aging, Animal research, anti-aging, cell environment, Cells, Central nervous system, cerebral spinal fluid, circulatory system, Cognitive Decline, CSF transfusion, Disease, DNA, gene expression, Longevity, Methylation, parabiosis, Progenitor Cell, White matter

By Arielle Hogan As you sit here reading this article, your cells are working away in your body performing all the diverse biochemical reactions necessary to keep you going. As… Read more

Aging Cognition Learning and Memory

Will this new drug change the way we manage and understand Alzheimer’s?

May 10, 2022June 15, 2022 Diana Ortega Cruz Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Drugs, Memory decline, Treatment

Written by Diana Ortega Cruz In June of 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved aducanumab, the first drug for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) that targets… Read more

Cognition Consciousness Learning and Memory Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders

Seizure Disorders: An On-Going Mystery

March 29, 2022March 29, 2022 Ayushe Sharma Epilepsy, Microglia, Neuroimaging, Neuroinflammation, Neurological Disorders, Seizures, Traumatic brain injury

The word “epilepsy” comes from the Greek epilambanein, meaning “to seize, take hold of, or attack” (Baloyannis, 2013). As evidenced by historical accounts and works of art, epilepsy has existed… Read more

Big Ideas Cognition Psychedelics

Psychedelic Journal Club: The Risk of Flashbacks

March 17, 2022July 14, 2022 Sean Noah flashbacks, hallucinations, LSD, neuroscience myths, Psychedelics

A commentary on the article “Flashback phenomena after administration of LSD and psilocybin in controlled studies with healthy participants,” by Felix Müller et al., published in Psychopharmacology. Following psychedelics’ explosive… Read more

Cognition Learning and Memory Movement

How Weight Lifting Gets the Brain in Shape

March 1, 2022May 18, 2022 Carolyn Amir Cognition, Cognitive Decline, Cognitive Impairment, Cognitive Improvements, Cognitive performance, Memory, Neurodegeneration, neuroprotective, Weight Training

Weight trainers often espouse the “mind-muscle connection”. But what actually happens to the brain during strength training? Surprisingly, even a few weeks of weight training alter the nervous system, and… Read more

Big Ideas Cognition Consciousness Psychedelics

Psychedelic Journal Club: How Do Psychedelics Work? Part 2

January 27, 2022January 27, 2022 Sean Noah Pharmacology, Psychedelics, Space, World View

A commentary on the article “Models of psychedelic drug action: modulation of cortical- subcortical circuits” by Manoj Doss et al., published in Brain. Even though the “psychedelic renaissance” is underway,… Read more

Cognition

The Neurobiology of Curiosity

January 25, 2022January 25, 2022 Caitlin Goodpaster Curiosity, Evolution, Exploration, New Science, Novelty, Optogenetics, Subthalamic, Threat, Zona incerta

Have you ever heard the saying, “curiosity killed the cat”? While this may be true, curiosity also protects the cat. Curiosity is a highly adaptive characteristic of many animals, from… Read more

Big Ideas Cognition Consciousness Psychedelics

Psychedelic Journal Club: A Whole New Worldview

January 13, 2022 Sean Noah Metaphysical Beliefs, Psychedelics, Space, World View

A commentary on the article “Psychedelics alter metaphysical beliefs,” by Christopher Timmermann et al., published in Scientific Reports.… Read more

Cognition Psychedelics Sensation and Perception

Psychedelic Journal Club: How Do Psychedelics Work?

December 23, 2021January 13, 2022 Sean Noah Drug, Drug policy, Pharmacology, Psychedelics, Research

A commentary on the article “REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics” by Robin Carhart-Harris and Karl Friston, published in Pharmacological Reviews.… Read more

Cognition Psychedelics Sensation and Perception

Psychedelic Journal Club: Microdosing for Mental Wellbeing

December 16, 2021January 13, 2022 Sean Noah Drug policy, Drugs, medicine, Pharmacology, Psychedelics, Research

A commentary on the article “Adults who microdose psychedelics report health related motivations and lower levels of anxiety and depression compared to non-microdosers by Joseph M. Rootman et al., published… Read more

Cognition Fear

The Search for Darkness: How and Why We Enjoy Horror Films

December 7, 2021October 21, 2022 Ayushe Sharma

The word “horror” is derived from the Latin verb horrere, which means “to shudder.” Evil is an integral part of any horror film. This evil is channeled through “a human,… Read more