Susan Gathercole, Unit Director, is pleased to announce that the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit has successfully transferred to the University of Cambridge as an MRC University Unit. The transfer took place on 1 July 2017. The unit will still be known as the Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, but with […]
Archives for 2017
Age-related delay in visual and auditory evoked responses is mediated by white- and grey- matter differences
Age-related delay in visual and auditory evoked responses is mediated by white- and grey- matter differences Many aspects of human behaviour slow down with age, which are thought to reflect a reduction of information processing speed in the brain. To measure the speed of simple visual and auditory processing delays study participants are typically presented […]
Cambridge BRAINFest | FREE Public Brain Festival | 23-25 June 2017
Cambridge BRAINFest – 23-25 June 2017 Cambridge BRAINFest is a public free festival of brain research that will bring together >130 neuroscientists from across Cambridge to present ground breaking research in 30 interactive exhibits covering themes of Development’, ‘Brain & Body’, ‘Pain & Pleasure’, ‘Imagination & Perception’ and ‘Learning & Forgetting’, spanning research from molecule to […]
Cognitive segmentation and fluid intelligence
Cognitive segmentation and fluid intelligence Fluid intelligence tests are important because the ability to solve these problems is broadly predictive of success in many kinds of cognitive activity. It remains uncertain which aspects of cognition determine performance on these tests. To address this question, a CBU group modified a traditional fluid intelligence test, matrix reasoning, […]
Phonics works. New research suggests that sounding out words is the best way to teach reading
Phonics works. New research suggests that sounding out words is the best way to teach reading Researchers from Royal Holloway, University of London and the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (CBU) in Cambridge have published a paper in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, contributing to an intense debate about how best to teach […]
Cambridge Science Festival 2017 at the CBU
Cambridge Science Festival 2017 at the CBU An entertaining and educational evening of demonstrations and lectures will be held at the CBU on Wednesday 15th March, from 6-8.30pm. Our annual science open evening, this year titled “Exploring the Mind and Brain – Improving cognition and mental health” is given as part of the Cambridge Science Festival […]
Social Pain and social gain in the adolescent brain: A common neural circuitry
Social Pain and social gain in the adolescent brain: A common neural circuitry Previous research has shown that negative social feedback activates regions of the brain associated with processing of physical pain, giving rise to the idea of a brain circuit that processes social pain. This new study examined whether they process any socially important […]
Structural connectivity and patterns of gene expression provide insight into the mechanisms that may lead to the cognitive effects of a single-gene mutation
Structural connectivity and patterns of gene expression provide insight into the mechanisms that may lead to the cognitive effects of a single-gene mutation Neurodevelopmental disorders are difficult to investigate because various biological causes may lead to the clusters of behaviours that are grouped within a diagnostic category. Focusing on neurodevelopmental disorder with a genetic origin […]