cognitive | Common News Update

Oct252018 by adminNo Comments

Whole-brain radiation procedure preserves cognitive function in trial

Health

Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Patients' cognitive functions can be preserved if the hippocampus portion of the brain is avoided during radiation, according to the results of a clinical trial. Researchers compared hippocampal-avoidance radiotherapy with traditional whole-brain radiation for patients with brain metastases. They presented their practice-changing findings Tuesday at the American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting in San Antonio and are in the process having them published in an academic journal. The hippocampus, which is located under the cerebral cortex, is the part of the brain associated with cognitive function, including memory. In brain metastases, cancer cells have spread to the brain from primary tumors in other organs. Brain metastases affect up to 45 percent of adults...

6 cognitive biases that can derail your portfolio

Finance

When it comes to money, humans are not exactly rational. In fact, there are six cognitive biases related to money that can be harmful to investors. These detrimental biases can derail the ability to make the best possible decisions about how to build wealth. Oftentimes, clients do not realize their decisions are being negatively affected by these six biases. 1. Overconfidence. Clients affected by this bias often overestimate the confidence level and the accuracy of their own judgment as greater than the objective accuracy of those judgments. In other words, the subjective estimation of our own accuracy an...

Commercial brain training doesn't improve decision making or cognitive function

Science

July 11 (UPI) -- Commercial brain training doesn't boost decision making or cognitive function, new research shows.A new study found people who use commercial brain training aids did get better at the training tasks themselves -- they showed "practice effects" -- but didn't benefit from a broader cognitive performance boost.Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania conducted the study to see whether brain training can help people curb impulsive behavior.An earlier study by Penn researchers showed engaging self-control brain circuits can help people refrain from smoking."Our motivation, was that there are enough hints in the literature that cognitive training deserved a real, rigorous, full-scale test," Dr. Joseph Kable, an associate professor of psychology, said in a news release. "Esp...