Cognitive Science bridges the gap between the brain and the mind - tracing how networks of neurons shape perception, attention, memory, and imagination. This section explores the science of thinking and awareness, from the role of the default mode network in creativity to the mechanisms of focus, flow, and altered states. By bringing together neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy, we highlight the discoveries that reveal not only how the mind works, but how it can be expanded.
A new open-access research article in Neuroscience of Consciousness challenges one of the most widely held assumptions in cognitive science: that computational processes alone can produce consciousness. The study argues that all information inside a computer is intrinsically encoded and requires external decoding to have meaning, making conscious awareness impossible for computational systems. By extending this logic to neural models of the brain, the paper claims consciousness must arise from something beyond computation, redefining how science understands awareness and representation.
A new open-access study in The Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences examines how the emotional symptoms that bridge mood and cognition change across adulthood. Using data from nearly 2,000 participants in the Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience, researchers found that dysphoria acts as the main cognitive - affective connector in younger adults, while anhedonia becomes the key bridge in older adults. This age-related shift was tied to differences in gray matter volume, suggesting distinct neurobiological pathways shaping late-life emotional health.
A new open-access study in the American Journal of Epidemiology examines how memory changes before, during, and after a major financial loss in later life. Using 22 years of data from nearly 15,000 adults in the US Health and Retirement Study, researchers found that individuals who experienced a severe wealth shock - losing 75% or more of household assets within two years - already showed faster memory decline beforehand. They also experienced an acute drop in memory at the moment of loss, followed by slower decline in the years after. These findings highlight the deep cognitive imprint of financial instability.
A new open-access expert statement in Sexual Medicine from the European Society for Sexual Medicine (ESSM) provides the most comprehensive framework to date on how anxiety manifests in sexual dysfunction. Reviewing nearly two decades of research, the authors identify five distinct forms of anxiety - performance anxiety, sexual phobia, sexual distress, attachment anxiety, and somatic symptom disorder - each with unique features, mechanisms, and clinical implications. Their central message is clear: most patients experience more than one type of anxiety simultaneously, and effective care requires precise, tailored intervention.
Emotion regulation research has long focused on restoring emotional balance, but new work in Psychoradiology argues that its true power extends far beyond mental health. Tingting Wu and Jiajin Yuan introduce the concept of emotion regulation adaptiveness, a framework showing how emotional skills help people think clearly, perform under pressure, and adjust to changing goals in real time. Their paper calls for a shift toward understanding emotion regulation as a foundation for human adaptability - influencing cognition, behavior, social functioning, and even athletic performance.
A new Open Access study in Brain Communications suggests that changes in the retina may mirror early cognitive decline long before dementia becomes clinically visible. Using high-resolution optical coherence tomography in more than 1,000 adults, researchers found that thinning of the retinal nerve fibre layer - particularly in temporal regions - was consistently associated with poorer attention and with risk states such as mild cognitive impairment and mild neurocognitive disorder. The findings highlight the retina as a non-invasive window into brain health and early neurodegenerative processes.
A new systematic review in Schizophrenia Bulletin examines one of the field's most persistent and intriguing questions: why individuals across the schizophrenia spectrum often experience time differently. Although time perception abnormalities have long been noted, research has struggled to determine whether these distortions meaningfully correlate with specific symptom dimensions such as positive, negative, or disorganized symptoms. Reviewing 20 studies, the authors find striking methodological variability and mixed results, revealing a deeper scientific challenge in understanding how schizophrenia alters the subjective experience of time.
A new open-access study in The Economic Journal examines why individuals often believe that truthful messages are more persuasive than lies - even though receivers struggle to tell them apart. Across a large survey and two laboratory experiments, the researchers show that people significantly overestimate the persuasive power of truth. This miscalibrated belief influences communication choices: many remain honest when persuasion matters, even when lying would increase their payoff. The findings offer insight into how people navigate trust, credibility, and strategic communication.
A new open-access study in Brain shows that the brain's white matter is far more electrically active during seizures than previously understood, carrying signals that reflect how seizures propagate across connected regions. Analyzing stereo-EEG and tractography data from patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, researchers found that white matter patterns mirror underlying structural pathways and help reveal when seizures arise from distributed networks rather than a single focal point. The findings may refine how clinicians evaluate seizure dynamics and determine surgical outcomes.
