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Results from ALSPAC show that iodine deficiency in pregnancy is associated with an adverse effect on child cognitive development.

Children of mothers who showed iodine deficiency during early pregnancy were more likely to have scores in the lowest quartile for verbal IQ, reading accuracy, and reading comprehension.

As a component of thyroid hormones, iodine is essential for fetal brain development.

A small study appears to show that electrical brain stimulation improves mental arithmetic, and that an improvement can still be seen 6 months later.

However, Nature quotes cognitive neuroscientist Daniel Ansari as saying, The training used here is highly contrived and does not resemble the way in which math skills are typically acquired.

Scientists were able to scare patients with bilateral amygdala damage using carbon dioxide.

Three rare patients, who do not normally experience fear due to damaged amygdalae, experienced fear and panic attacks when breathing 35% CO₂. The results indicate that the amygdala is not required for fear and panic, and make an important distinction between fear triggered by external threats from the environment and fear triggered internally by CO₂.

Researchers John Wemmie and Colin Buzza discussed their new study with Nature’s Kerri Smith.

Scientists at Uppsala University have found that elderly obese patients have smaller brains.

292 elderly Swedish patients were examined using MRI. Those who were obese had 1.5% smaller total brain volumes and reduced total gray matter volume.

The results may provide evidence for cognitive suppression of appetite that may lower the risk of developing obesity in later life.

Scientists at the University of California found that sleep disruption in the elderly contributes to age-related cognitive decline

Age-related regional brain atrophy was associated with reduced slow wave activity (SWA) during non–rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, the consequence of which is impaired long-term memory.