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cognition

Pareidolia Study: Natural Images Shift Illusions Toward Animals and Nature

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MHD featured image for pareidolia, natural images, white noise, and animal-shaped visual illusions.

A 2026 experiment involving 81 healthy adults found similar pareidolia counts across natural and white-noise images, but different content: natural images favored natural-world categories (75.3% vs. 59.37%), while white noise favored human-created categories (27.59% vs. 14.53%). Pareidolia means seeing meaningful objects or patterns in ambiguous input.1 Research Highlights Image type changed the content, not the …

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tDCS Failed Visual Working Memory as Distraction Increased Orientation Bias

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Editorial card showing visual working memory, tDCS electrodes, and distraction-linked orientation bias in a cognitive neuroscience task.

A 2026 two-experiment study found no visual-working-memory benefit from parietal or occipital transcranial direct current stimulation, while distraction unexpectedly made the cardinal-over-oblique orientation advantage stronger than it was without distraction: the pooled distraction-by-angle interaction had BFinc = 1021.671.1 Research Highlights Distraction strengthened the bias: pooled data from 68 analyzed adults showed a strong distractor-by-angle interaction, …

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Cognitive Reserve in First-Episode Psychosis: Education PRS Adds 4.2%

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Photoreal illustration of brain with strengthening neural networks suggesting reserve and protection against cognitive decline.

A 2026 analysis of 174 people with non-affective first-episode psychosis found that cognitive reserve was tied to 3 signals available near illness onset: age at onset, family history of psychosis, and polygenic liability for educational attainment. Adding the education polygenic score raised the model’s adjusted R² from 13.5% to 17.7%, a real but modest gain …

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Alcohol & Brain Volume in Older Adults: Cortical Thinning & White Matter Loss in Heavy Drinkers (250g/Week) (2023 Study)

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Alcohol’s effects on the brain, especially among the elderly, have long been a subject of scientific inquiry. A recent study from Gothenburg, Sweden, provides new insights into how varying levels of alcohol consumption impact brain structure in individuals aged 70 and over. This research sheds light on the relationship between alcohol intake and the aging …

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Cognitive Function Does Not Predict Response to tDCS for Depression (2023 Trial)

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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) has been explored as a potential treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD), particularly for patients who have not responded to traditional treatments like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This non-invasive technique involves applying a weak electrical current to the prefrontal cortex of the brain, aiming to modulate neurocognitive functions. However, …

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Effect of A Short Nap on Cognitive Function & Brain Connectivity with Sleep Deprivation (2023 Study)

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Sleep deprivation (SD) is a common issue in today’s fast-paced world, leading to temporary cognitive impairments that can significantly affect daily functioning. However, new research reveals that even a short nap following a period of SD can help reverse these impairments to some extent, shedding light on the brain’s remarkable ability to recover. Highlights: Cognitive …

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