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Factors that may affect memory
Food and supplements
Diet
Not enough 'good' cholesterol makes it harder to recover from stroke
Right breakfast bread keeps blood sugar in check all day
Caffeine may protect memory in older women
Natural compound and exercise boost memory in mice
Breaking fish advice during pregnancy may benefit babies
High BMI tied to poorer cognitive function in middle-aged adults
Vegetables, not fruit, help fight memory problems in old age
A natural chemical found in strawberries boosts memory in healthy mice
Copper increases cognitive decline in older adults on high-fat diet
Morbid obesity in toddlers linked to low IQ
Fat hormone linked to learning and memory
Simple Lifestyle Changes May Improve Cognitive Function
Apple consumption protects against age-related cognitive decline
Lifestyle changes improve seniors’ memory surprisingly quickly
Coffee jump-starts short-term memory
Eating fish associated with slower cognitive decline
More evidence for value of folate for aging brains
Antioxidant-rich diets reduce brain damage from stroke in rats
Zinc supplements improved cognitive performance in adolescents
Low cholesterol also associated with impaired cognition
Diet, exercise, stimulating environment helps old dogs learn
Calorie restriction leads to some brain benefits but not others in mice
Tea may protect against Alzheimer’s
More support for the benefits of blueberries
U.N. prescribes nutrient-fortified foods
Vital role in brain development for the nutrient choline
More support that high cholesterol is a risk factor for cognitive impairment
Exercise may counteract bad effect of high-fat diet on memory
Grape juice may help memory in older adults
More support for value of antioxidants in protecting against age-related cognitive decline
Meal skipping protects the nerve cells of mice
Helping memory with "natural" supplements
High sugar blood levels linked to poor memory
Calorie restriction reduces age-related brain cell death
Antioxidant-rich diets improve age-related cognitive decline in rats
Sunflower seeds helpful in reducing hypertension and associated cognitive impairment
Coffee helps you retain mental sharpness later in the day
Rats on a high-fat diet showed severe impairment on a wide range of learning and memory tasks
A good breakfast improves memory function in older adults
Iron
Iron-deficient infants have lower cognitive scores at 19
Anemia linked to impaired thinking in older adults
Impact of iron deficiency in infancy continues into adolescence
Even moderate iron deficiency affects cognitive performance
U.N. prescribes nutrient-fortified foods
Iron deficiency may affect maths achievement in children and teens
Dietary supplements
Long-term beta carotene supplementation may help prevent cognitive decline
Vitamin B12, folate, and cognitive function
Folic acid supplementation may improve cognitive performance
More evidence for value of folate for aging brains
Preventing high levels of homocysteine may protect against age-related cognitive impairment
Zinc supplements improved cognitive performance in adolescents
Low vitamin B12 compounding factor with Alzheimer's gene
Creatine boosts working memory and general intelligence
High-dose vitamin regime may help slow Alzheimer's
Pilot study finds ginseng may improve memory in stroke dementia patients
Dietary supplements improve old rats' memory and energy levels
Drugs & chemicals
Hormone therapy
Combined hormone therapy doesn't boost memory
Removing ovaries before menopause increases risk of cognitive impairment
For cognitive benefits of estrogen, timing is everything
Hormone replacement therapy may improve visual memory of postmenopausal women
Elevated testosterone kills nerve cells
Fitness counteracts cognitive decline from hormone-replacement therapy
Estrogen levels affect hippocampal wiring
How estrogen affects the brain
Less cognitive impairment seen in women taking raloxifene
Hormone therapy for prostate cancer can produce temporary cognitive impairment
Cognitive benefit of estrogen minimal for the highly educated?
New insights into hormone therapy highlight when estrogen best aids brain
Testosterone deprivation makes men forget
Estrogen effect on memory influenced by stress
Estrogen-alone hormone therapy could increase risk of dementia in older women
Estrogen boosts memory in men with prostate cancer
Estrogen combines with stress to impair memory
Estrogen improves verbal memory in postmenopausal women
Menopause not linked to memory decline
For women over 65, Combined Hormone Therapy increases risk of dementia
Estrogen may dictate the problem-solving strategy chosen
Older men with higher testosterone levels performed better on cognitive tests
Hormone replacement therapy may have cognitive benefits for older women
The positive effects of estrogen on memory
Estrogen critical to a woman's mental functioning
The estrogen drug raloxifene may help prevent cognitive decline in women over 70
Alcohol
Nicotine may enhance attention and working memory in recovering alcoholics
Possible genetic risk for fetal alcohol disorders
Smoking interferes with thinking and memory in recovering alcoholics
Female alcoholics can develop cognitive problems more rapidly than male alcoholics
Drinking heavy amounts of alcohol shrinks your brain
Numbers, sequences pose problems for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome children
Heavy, chronic drinking can cause significant hippocampal tissue loss
Why moderate drinking may boost memory
Most of the cognitive deficits associated with alcoholism recoverable
Moderate alcohol intake associated with better mental function in older women
Prenatal exposure to alcohol linked to lower I.Q.
Smoking interferes with brain's recovery from alcoholism
More support for benefits of some alcohol
Long-term smoking associated with dulled thinking and lower IQ
Smoking seems to increase brain damage in alcoholics
Key neural system at risk from fetal alcohol exposure
Prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to lasting changes in cognitive processing
Drinking for just eight weeks impairs learning and memory in mice
Brain atrophy occurs faster in women alcoholics
Cognitive effects of binge drinking worse for women
Alcohol's damaging effects on adolescent brain function
Moderate alcohol intake may reduce cognitive decline in older women
Cigarette smoking exacerbates alcohol-induced brain damage
Alcoholics can have deficits in visuoperception and frontal executive function despite sobriety
Prenatal alcohol exposure has effects far beyond fetal alcohol syndrome
New brain cells develop during alcohol abstinence
Drinking too much alcohol, and not enough, increases risk of cognitive impairment
Cognitive function of alcohol abuse patients may influence treatment outcome
Possible benefits of alcohol in reducing cognitive decline
Brain damage found among heavy social drinkers
Light drinking during pregnancy may lead to learning and memory deficits in adolescents
Deficits associated with prenatal alcohol exposure can be seen as early as infancy
Even small amounts of alcohol or anesthetics may damage the developing brain
Hippocampal damage seen in those with alcoholic memory disorder and those with Alzheimer's
Study of alcoholics reveals connection between cerebellum and prefrontal cortex
Alcohol's benefits for cognition may be overstated
Alcohol damages day-to-day memory function
Prenatal exposure to alcohol affects executive functioning in young children
Alcoholics' cognitive impairment associated with impaired reaction to stress
Motor skill training may help children with fetal alcohol exposure
Moderate alcohol consumption may help prevent dementia
Nicotine
Nicotine may enhance attention and working memory in recovering alcoholics
Smoking interferes with thinking and memory in recovering alcoholics
Smoking interferes with brain's recovery from alcoholism
Long-term smoking associated with dulled thinking and lower IQ
Smoking seems to increase brain damage in alcoholics
Smoking associated with working memory impairment in adolescents
Cigarette smoking exacerbates alcohol-induced brain damage
Nicotine patch may alleviate 'senior moments'
Ecstasy
Low doses of ecstasy associated with decline in verbal memory
Ecstasy can harm the brains of first-time users
International survey finds Ecstasy use affects long-term memory
Ecstasy may cause permanent memory damage
Use of ecstasy during pregnancy may produce learning and memory impairments in child
Long-term use of ecstacy may result in memory impairment in specific areas
Other illegal drugs
Smoking marijuana impairs cognitive function in MS patients
Club drugs inflict damage similar to traumatic brain injury
New imaging technique finds no damage to adolescent brains of moderate cannabis users
Memory and speed of thinking get worse over time with marijuana use
One hit of crystal meth can cause birth defects
Amphetamines and cocaine can damage the brain’s ability to learn from new experiences
Minimal long-term effects of marijuana use on learning and memory
Amphetamine helps or hinders cognitive function depending on your genes
Long-lasting changes in attention and motor skills after heavy stimulant abuse
Cognitive impairment seen in heavy marijuana users who started using before 18
Cognitive development affected in babies exposed prenatally to cocaine
Cocaine may permanently damage learning abilities in developing fetuses
Methamphetamine abuse may permanently impair cognitive function
Medical drugs & treatment
Deep brain stimulation may improve memory
Low dose aspirin does not protect women against cognitive decline
Restoring flexibility to old brains
Drug reverses aging effect on memory process
Drug for overactive bladder can cause memory deterioration
Computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation improves substance-abuse treatment response
Pre-term labor drug sensitizes brain to pesticide injury
Statins associated with rare cases of temporary amnesia
Common pediatric anesthesia drugs cause brain damage and learning and memory problems in infant rats
Chemicals & metals
Early lead exposure impedes later recovery from brain injury
Reading ability protects brain from lead exposure
How lead exposure produces learning deficits
Pros and cons of therapy for lead exposure
Long-term lead exposure linked to cognitive decline in older adults
Lead exposure leads to brain cell loss and damage years later
ADHD linked to genetic and environmental interactions
No strong evidence linking mercury levels with worse cognitive performance in older adults
Chemical in clear plastics can impair learning
Lead exposure may affect recovery from brain injury
Environmental damage to brains of children
Eating methylmercury contaminated fish causes cognitive problems in adults
Pollutants affect babies' brains
PCB-laden fish may affect adult verbal memory
Exercise
Age differences in cognitive benefits of exercise and mental stimulation
Natural compound and exercise boost memory in mice
Fitness and childhood IQ indicators of cognitive ability in old age
Exercise helps sustain mental activity as we age
Vigorous exercise helps children's grades
Simple Lifestyle Changes May Improve Cognitive Function
Fitness counteracts cognitive decline from hormone-replacement therapy
Lifestyle changes improve seniors’ memory surprisingly quickly
Lifelong mild exercise decreases cellular aging in the brain
Diet, exercise, stimulating environment helps old dogs learn
Maintaining physical activity linked to less cognitive decline in older men
Some people are 'immune' to exercise
Physically fit children appear to do better in classroom
Walking may protect elderly from dementia
Physical activity associated with better mental functioning in older women
Music with exercise boosts mental performance
Imaging study confirms link between exercise and cognitive function
Walking reduces cognitive decline in older women
Aerobic exercise improves some mental processes in older adults
Strategies
Kids learn more when mother is listening
Labeling facilitates categorization
Gesturing helps grade-schoolers solve math problems
10 minutes of talking has a mental payoff
Eye movement can affect problem-solving
Cramming doesn't work in the long term
Aging adults have choices when confronting perceived mental declines
Testing strengthens recall whether something's on the test or not
Rote learning may improve verbal memory in seniors
Brain Imaging Identifies Best Memorization Strategies
Support for labeling as an aid to memory
Repeated test-taking better for retention than repeated studying
Actors’ memory tricks help students and older adults
'Imagination' helps older people remember to comply with medical advice
People remember speech better when it is accompanied by gestures
Gesturing reduces cognitive load
Landauer, T.K. & Ross, B.H. (1977). Can simple instructions to use spaced practice improve ability to remember a fact? An experimental test using telephone numbers. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 10, 215-218.
Training
Strong links between arts education and cognitive development
Why music training helps language
Playing video games reduces sex differences in spatial skills
How to benefit from memory training
Improved attention with mindfulness training
Brain scans show how meditation affects the brain
Blind people are 'serial memory' whizzes
Meditation may improve attentional control
Mental training helps maintain some seniors' cognitive skills
Teaching older brains to regain youthful skills
Evidence musical training affects brain development
Simulator training benefits stroke patients
Brain function in schizophrenia can improve with cognitive training
The effects of training and age on the spatial-memory gender gap
Alzheimer's may leave some forms of memory intact
Computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation improves substance-abuse treatment response
Gender differences
Review supports mild memory impairment in pregnancy
Stereotype-induced math anxiety robs women's working memory
Gender differences in the brain
Sex and prenatal hormones affect cognitive performance
Implicit stereotypes and gender identification may affect female math performance
Women's math performance affected by theories on sex differences
Brain size does matter, but differently for men and women
Effect of pregnancy on cognition depends on fetal gender
Cognitive effects of binge drinking worse for women
The effects of training and age on the spatial-memory gender gap
Faster neuron transmission in young males
IQ-related brain areas may differ in men and women
Estrogen combines with stress to impair memory
No support for idea that pregnancy affects memory and concentration
Women better at recognizing female but not male faces
Why women better remember emotional memories
Gender differences in frontal lobe neuron density
Gender differences in neural networks underlying beginning reading
Boys' and girls' brains process faces differently
More women than men do well on memory tests in old age
Emotion
(Emotion news reports all collated here for easy reference)
Psychological distress, not depression, linked to increased risk of stroke
Short-term stress can affect learning and memory
Correct levels of stress hormones boost learning
Stress hormone impacts memory, learning in diabetic rodents
Genes implicated in learning attitude
A Gene to Better Remember Traumatic Events
Distress-prone people more likely to develop memory problems
Implicit stereotypes and gender identification may affect female math performance
Reducing the racial achievement gap
Highly accomplished people more prone to failure than others when under stress
Women's math performance affected by theories on sex differences
Anticipation strengthens memory
Scent of fear impacts cognitive performance
How emotions interfere with memory
Lifestyle changes improve seniors’ memory surprisingly quickly
Stress interferes with problem-solving; Beta-blocker may help
Early life stress can lead to memory loss and cognitive decline in middle age
Origins of fear more complex than supposed
Insight into the processes of 'positive' and 'negative' learners
How trauma triggers long-lasting memories in the brain
Anxiety adversely affects those who are most likely to succeed at exams
Positive emotions help people see big picture details
Why traumatic memories have the power they do
Anxiety good for memory recall, bad for solving complex problems
Mood affects eyewitness accuracy and reasoning
Estrogen effect on memory influenced by stress
Stress reactions no guarantee of authenticity
Different brain regions for arousing and non-arousing words
Reducing the trauma of traumatic memories
Emotions help memory, at the cost of other memories
Interactions with other races can impair mental capacity in the strongly prejudiced
Excitement helps memory for unrelated events
How emotions interfere with staying focused
Why women better remember emotional memories
How memory helps make life pleasant
Older adults better at forgetting negative images
Mood needs to be matched to cognitive task for best performance
Suppressing your expression of emotion affects your memory for the event
Anxiety over maths blocks learning
Cerebellum implicated in remembering emotions
Brain study shows how surprises help us learn
Different aspects of attention located in different parts of the brain
Smell
Difficulty identifying odors may predict cognitive decline
Odor can help memory, in some circumstances
Scent of fear impacts cognitive performance
Herz, R.S. (1997). The effects of cue distinctiveness on odor-based context dependent memory. Memory and Cognition, 25, 375-380.
Influence of others
Two heads not always better than one
Effect of expectations on older adults’ memory performance
Basden, B.H., Basden, D.R., Bryner, S. & Thomas, R.L. III (1997). A comparison of group and individual remembering: Does collaboration disrupt retrieval strategies? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 23, 1176-1189.
Tversky, Barbara & Marsh, Elizabeth J. 2000. Biased retellings of events yield biased memories. Cognitive Psychology, 40, 1-38.
Weldon, M.S. & Bellinger, K.D. (1997). Collective and individual processes in remembering. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 23, 1160-1175.
Biological rhythms
Mice brains shrink during winter, impairing spatial memory
Folkard, S. & Monk, T.H. (1988). Time of day effects in immediate and delayed memory. In M. M. Gruneberg, P. E. Morris & R.N. Sykes (eds.). Practical aspects of memory. London: Academic Press.
Sleep
(Sleep news reports all collated here for easy reference)
REM sleep deprivation reduces neurogenesis
Brain connections strengthen during waking hours, weaken during sleep
Insufficient sleep in early childhood associated with developmental delay
Memory problems and sleep disturbance linked in older women
Sleep deprivation affects attention and visual short-term memory
Sleep deprivation can threaten competent decision-making
Sleep reinforces the temporal sequence in memory
Sleep protects against interference
Sleeping helps us put facts together
African-American and poor children more affected by sleep problems
Sleep deprivation affects neurogenesis
Memory improves after sleep apnea therapy
More on how memories are consolidated during sleep
Still more on how memories are consolidated during sleep
Brainwave oscillations responsible for memory benefits of sleep?
More support that sleep helps consolidate learning
Human study supports value of daytime napping for learning
Childhood sleep apnea linked to brain damage, lower IQ
Sleep makes memories resistant to interference
Asleep or awake we retain memory
Morning grogginess worse for cognition than sleep deprivation
Losing sleep inhibits neurogenesis
Breathing problems during sleep may affect mental development in infants and young children
More evidence that learning is consolidated during sleep
More on effects of sleep loss and fatigue on memory and learning
Mentally, sleep may be as active a state as waking state
More on what goes on during sleep
Now definite? Memories are consolidated during sleep
Sleep deprivation affects working memory
Stages of memory clarified in sleep studies
More support for the theory that sleep is necessary to consolidate memories
Another step in understanding how sleep affects memory
Napping reverses information overload
Improving motor skills through sleep
Controversy over sleep's role in memory
New motor skills consolidated during sleep
Deep "slow wave" sleep necessary to consolidate memories
Harrison, Yvonne & Horne, James A. (2000). Sleep loss and temporal memory. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 53A (1), 271-279.
Environment
Seeing red worsens test performance
Aircraft noise may affect children's reading and memory
Clinical conditions
Different use of brain areas may explain memory problems in schizophrenics
Testing one time is not enough
Study links manic depression with brain tissue loss
Chronic pain can impair working memory
Symptomatic Gulf War veterans show reduced brain volume
Does migraine protect your memory?
Obesity surgery can lead to memory loss
Repeated common infections may lead to memory deficits over a lifetime
Drug for overactive bladder can cause memory deterioration
Chronic tinnitus and cognition
Immune function important for cognition
Preconditioning could prevent injury to dendrites in neurological diseases
High blood pressure has stronger effect on cognitive function in African-Americans
Brain function in schizophrenia can improve with cognitive training
Chronic back pain shrinks 'thinking parts' of the brain
AIDS
Green tea extract protects against HIV-associated dementia
AIDS-related cognitive impairment exists in two separate forms
AIDS inflicts specific pattern of brain damage
A friendly reminder for HIV patients
Cancer
Cognitive deficits among cancer patients insufficiently recognized problem
Narcolepsy drug alleviates post-chemotherapy fogginess
Diabetes drug shows promise for preventing brain injury from radiation therapy
How whole-brain radiation might cause dementia
Common cancer treatments toxic to healthy brain cells
Chemotherapy temporarily affects the brain
Chemo drugs for treating breast cancer may cause changes in cognitive function
Brain scans reveal 'chemobrain' no figment of the imagination
Possible treatment found for 'chemobrain'
Cancer survivors may be at higher risk for cognitive dysfunction
Impaired neuromotor function following cancer treatment can improve
New radiation therapy of brain tumors in children spares cognitive functions
Cognitive dysfunction found in women with breast cancer prior to treatment
Estrogen boosts memory in men with prostate cancer
Multiple sclerosis
Smoking marijuana impairs cognitive function in MS patients
Preconditioning could prevent injury to dendrites in neurological diseases
Ginkgo may improve executive function in MS patients
Alzheimer's drug improves cognition in MS patients
Ginkgo biloba may slow cognitive decline in patients with mild multiple sclerosis
A study is testing a drug to help cognitive impairment in patients with multiple sclerosis
Head injury
Head injuries result in widespread brain tissue loss one year later
Brain-injured war veterans show a faster decline in cognitive functioning as they age
Early lead exposure impedes later recovery from brain injury
Successful treatment for chronic TBI in rat study
Imaging shows structural changes in mild traumatic brain injury
Stem cells improved memory in mice after brain injury
Drug improves memory loss for traumatic brain injury patients
More light on adult neurogenesis; implications for dementia and brain injuries
Concussions increase chance of age-related cognitive impairment
Shift in brain's language-control site offers rehab hope
Post-concussion migraine may signal greater neurocognitive impairment
Lead exposure may affect recovery from brain injury
After serious head injury, survivors may still be able to learn without awareness
Diabetes
Stress hormone impacts memory, learning in diabetic rodents
Support for view of Alzheimer's as form of diabetes
Tight diabetes control does not impact cognitive ability in type 1 diabetes
Brain function not impaired by tight diabetes control and hypoglycemia
Fat hormone linked to learning and memory
Diabetics at significantly higher risk for Alzheimer's disease
Insulin-degrading enzyme may affect risk of Alzheimer’s disease
Poorly controlled diabetes could lead to dementia in the elderly
High sugar blood levels linked to poor memory
PTSD
Cognitive therapy useful in treating post-traumatic stress disorder in early stages
Some brain injuries may reduce the likelihood of PTSD
Effectiveness of most PTSD therapies is uncertain
Work could lead to first drug for post-traumatic stress disorder
Anticipation strengthens memory
Prevalence of combat-related PTSD
Why traumatic memories have the power they do
Visuospatial tasks during trauma may reduce intrusive memories of that event
Losing consciousness can stop you getting posttraumatic stress disorder
Reducing the trauma of traumatic memories
Drug found to improve memory in PTSD sufferers
Autism
New genetic link to autism identified
Autism non-verbal not unintelligent
Monkeys can reflect on their thoughts
Oxytocin may help treat two core autism symptoms
Brain enlargement may be characteristic of autism
Why autism is associated with executive function problems
Finding supports theory that autism results from failure of brain areas to work together
Special training may help people with autism recognize faces
Autistic preschoolers don't recognize emotions from facial photographs
Differences in face perception processing between autistic and normal adults
Clinical conditions associated with age (stroke, bypass surgery, etc) are indexed in the Aging section
Development
Children's under-achievement could be down to poor working memory
Effect of schooling on achievement gaps within racial groups
Maturity brings richer memories
A first glimpse at healthy brain and behavioral development
Kids can remember events even if they can't remember times
Too much knowledge can be bad for some types of memory
Development of working memory with age
Children outperform adults in memory study
Prenatal factors
Breaking fish advice during pregnancy may benefit babies
Ingredient commonly found in shampoos may inhibit brain development
Lead exposure leads to brain cell loss and damage years later
Prenatal exposure to urban air pollutants affects cognitive development
Prenatal exposure to marine toxin causes lasting damage
Rats infected as newborns vulnerable to memory problems when infected in adulthood
Prenatal exposure to solvents associated with negative cognitive effects
Environmental damage to brains of children
Vital role in brain development for the nutrient choline
Prenatal exposure to secondhand smoke associated with greater risk of developmental delay
Pre-term labor drug sensitizes brain to pesticide injury
Impact of prenatal environment on learning abilities
Fetuses recognize mother's voice in the womb
Cognitive development affected in babies exposed prenatally to cocaine
Use of ecstasy during pregnancy may produce learning and memory impairments in child
Alcohol exposure
Possible genetic risk for fetal alcohol disorders
Eye movement tasks can be used to assess fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
Numbers, sequences pose problems for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome children
Prenatal exposure to alcohol linked to lower I.Q.
New 'eye movement' test may help treat fetal alcohol syndrome
Key neural system at risk from fetal alcohol exposure
Prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to lasting changes in cognitive processing
Prenatal alcohol exposure has effects far beyond fetal alcohol syndrome
New hope for children with fetal alcohol syndrome
Light drinking during pregnancy may lead to learning and memory deficits in adolescents
Deficits associated with prenatal alcohol exposure can be seen as early as infancy
Prenatal exposure to alcoholaffects executive functioning in young children
Motor skill training may help children with fetal alcohol exposure
Prematurity
Early cognitive tests of premature predict later development
Why premature brains improve over time
Effect of prematurity on brain worse for boys
More evidence of long-lasting cognitive deficits in pre-term babies
Low birth weight still impacting exam scores 16 years on
Cognitive abilities increase with time in most premature children
Pre-term infants' slowness in processing information still evident at 12 months
Calculation difficulties in children of very low birthweight
Infancy
Kids learn more when mother is listening
Orphaned children fare better in foster care than in institutions
Gene governs IQ boost from breastfeeding
Insufficient sleep in early childhood associated with developmental delay
Toddlers can learn complex actions from picture-book reading
Evidence musical training affects brain development
Morbid obesity in toddlers linked to low IQ
Childhood sleep apnea linked to brain damage, lower IQ
Early gaze-following associated with early language
Early life stress can lead to memory loss and cognitive decline in middle age
Babies detect unfamiliar music rhythms easier than adults
TV has negative impact on very young children's learning abilities
Varied sensory experience important in childhood
Psychological reasoning begins earlier than had been thought
Mother's work schedule may impact her child's cognitive development
Early learning leaves lasting changes in brain
Breathing problems during sleep may affect mental development in infants and young children
Growing up in a chaotic home may impair child's cognitive development
Early music instruction raises child’s IQ
Infants Don't Encode Long-Term Memories Until Second Year
Adolescence
Frequent TV viewing during adolescence linked with risk of attention and learning difficulties
Prefrontal cortex loses neurons during adolescence
Brain still developing at age 18
Study links adolescent IQ/activity levels with risk of dementia
Teen's ability to multi-task develops late in adolescence
The best way to get teens to learn
Smoking associated with working memory impairment in adolescents
Alcohol's damaging effects on adolescent brain function
Language
Connection between language and movement
Different educational approaches appropriate for boys and girls?
Why music training helps language
Why do children experience a vocabulary explosion at 18 months of age?
Baby DVDs may hinder, not help, infants' language development
Kids learn words best by working out meaning
Early music training 'tunes' auditory system
Fathers influence child language development more than mothers
Evidence musical training affects brain development
Skills related to early language learning
Fast language learners have more white matter in auditory region
Playing music helps the understanding of language
Early gaze-following associated with early language
Aircraft noise may affect children's reading and memory
Language cues help visual learning in children
Language learning declines after second year of life
Baby talk helps infants learn to speak
Children process words by sound while adults process by meaning
Beneficial effects of bilingual learning
Imaging study points to the importance of early stimulation in making good readers
Music instruction aids verbal memory
Second language best taught in childhood
Childhood "amnesia" linked to vocabulary
Children's brains process words differently
Changes in the brain during adolescence
Study finds there's a critical time for learning all languages, including sign language
Gender differences in neural networks underlying beginning reading
Dyslexia & other language disorders
Grammar impairment among SLI children
Having right timing 'connections' in brain is key to overcoming dyslexia
Combining brain scans and behavioral tests aids early identification of at-risk readers
Specific brain region for reading
New evidence for the cause of dyslexia
New insight into brain and speech promises help for learning disabilities
Promise for helping adults with dyslexia
Dyslexia doesn't have a universal biological cause
Dyslexics have less gray matter in the brain's language centers
Brain development and puberty may be key factors in learning disorders
Confirmation: boys have more literacy problems than girls
Sensory processing different in people with dyslexia
Immature motion pathways in the brain associated with poor reading skills
Maths learning
Early math skills best predict school success
Gesturing helps grade-schoolers solve math problems
Young children can add and subtract without arithmetic
Stereotype-induced math anxiety robs women's working memory
Executive function as important as IQ for math success
Women's math performance affected by theories on sex differences
Language affects how math is done?
Scientists find brain function most important to math ability
Preschool storytelling ability linked to later mathematical ability
Iron deficiency may affect maths achievement in children and teens
Anxiety over maths blocks learning
Dyscalculia
Right parietal lobe implicated in dyscalculia
Scientists find brain function most important to math ability
Calculation difficulties in children of very low birthweight
Face recognition
Rare learning disability particularly impacts face recognition
Special training may help people with autism recognize faces
Babies' experience with faces leads to narrowing of perception
Children's recognition of faces
Boys' and girls' brains process faces differently
Attention
Study raises questions about diagnosis, treatment of ADHD
Gene predicts better outcome as cortex normalizes in teens with ADHD
Frequent TV viewing during adolescence linked with risk of attention and learning difficulties
Drug for teen drivers with ADHD
ADHD linked to genetic and environmental interactions
Drug improves information processing in adults with ADHD
ADDERALL XR significantly improves driving performance, attention in young adults with ADHD
Children who concentrate and switch attention better are more likely to cross streets safely
Learning disabilities
also see Dyslexia; ADHD; Dyscalculia; Autism; Prenatal factors
Fragile X retardation syndrome corrected in mice
Mouse study points to new therapy for Fragile X sufferers
Fundamental defect in fragile X syndrome identified and corrected
Testing one time is not enough
Fragile X syndrome -- A stimulating environment restores neuronal function in mice
Common cholesterol-lowering drug reverses learning disabilities in mice
Breakdown of myelin insulation in brain's wiring implicated in childhood developmental disorders
Related topics
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