Cognitive Science

The latest breakthroughs, innovations, and cool happenings at the cutting edge of the world of cognitive science. Updated daily.

The assessment of executive function abilities in healthy and neurodegenerative aging—A selective literature review

Numerous studies have examined executive function (EF) abilities in cognitively healthy older adults and those living with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Currently, there are no standard accepted protocols for testing specific EFs; thus, researchers have used their preferred tool, which leads to variability in assessments of decline in a particular ability […]

Published on March 26, 2024

Effects of electroacupuncture on postoperative cognitive dysfunction and its underlying mechanisms: a literature review of rodent studies

With the aging of the population, the health of the elderly has become increasingly important. Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common neurological complication in elderly patients following general anesthesia or surgery. It is characterized by cognitive decline that may persist for weeks, months, or even longer. Electroacupuncture (EA), a novel therapy that combines physical […]

Published on March 26, 2024

Looking at Mental Images: Eye‐Tracking Mental Simulation During Retrospective Causal Judgment

Abstract How do people evaluate causal relationships? Do they just consider what actually happened, or do they also consider what could have counterfactually happened? Using eye tracking and Gaussian process modeling, we investigated how people mentally simulated past events to judge what caused the outcomes to occur. Participants played a virtual ball-shooting game and then—while […]

Published on March 26, 2024