Cognitive functioning

Becoming more forgetful and feeling slower in your thinking is normal in older age. But when these changes are more than you’d expect for your age it might be a sign of mild cognitive impairment. So does that mean you’ll soon develop dementia?

A new study has found that the stride length of a dog’s front legs can be used to accurately diagnose their cognitive decline. Because a person’s change in gait can play a significant role in spotting early signs of Alzheimer's disease or dementia.

People taking fish-oil supplements in an effort to shield their brain from Alzheimer's disease might be better off investing that money in their diet, with a two-year study finding that omega-3 pills offer no protection from cognitive decline.

In what must have been some of the most enjoyable experiments ever, scientists have studied nearly 50 dogs of all shapes and sizes to find a better way of assessing paw dominance – something we believe to be a predictor of behavioral issues.

Anti-aging peptides have become one of the most talked-about experimental treatments in this emerging area of science – and one in particular, GHK-Cu, has shot to fame this year. So, what is it exactly? We separate the reality from the hype.

In the US, 6,000 women enter menopause every day, or 1.3 million in a year. Now, a study sheds light on the brain connectivity changes that happen in this phase, paving the way to finally understanding and ideally treating midlife cognitive decline.

One of the biggest mysteries in neuroscience is why women account for nearly two-thirds of Alzheimer’s cases. Now, we may be a step closer to understanding it, as an overlooked part of the brain appears to fail as estrogen abandons it.

Many of us probably don't get a lot of time to put pen to paper these days, but a new study suggests we should be paying more attention to how we write – because changes in a couple of key areas could be early red flags of cognitive decline.

If you've wondered why you procrastinate with doing your taxes early or starting mundane jobs, it's not because you dislike them. New research has uncovered a specific pathway in the brain that slams the brakes on investing energy in these tasks.

Naps are one of life's pleasures, but as we age, they can also be an early sign of health issues we're unaware of. These findings are thanks to a groundbreaking study of more than 1,000 people who had their daytime naps tracked for up to 19 years.

Despite the headlines, there’s limited evidence that using large language models – like Claude and ChatGPT – is rotting the brain. But there’s enough cause for concern.

The community of bacteria living in the intestines could be one of the drivers of memory loss in old age, says a new study. The finding could lead to new strategies to protect gut-brain communications and slow cognitive decline.