Articles related to COGNITIVE HEALTH/MEMORY

Developmental topographical disorientation (DTD) is a rare condition characterized by lifelong difficulty navigating familiar environments despite otherwise intact cognition. The article highlights how preserved landmark recognition can coexist with an inability to form accurate cognitive maps, creating significant functional impairment that may be mistaken for acquired neurologic disease.

Use of estrogen-only hormone therapy in women over age 70 was associated with lower rates of dementia diagnoses and reduced Alzheimer-related pathology across large observational cohorts. The findings identify an association but do not establish a preventive effect against dementia.

Among adults with both sleep disturbances and mild cognitive impairment, self-reported vitamin D supplementation of at least 5,000 IU daily was associated with higher cognitive assessment scores in a small observational study, while lower doses showed no similar association.

Among more than 7,300 Swedish patients with Alzheimer’s disease and atrial fibrillation, NOAC use was associated with slower cognitive decline than warfarin or no anticoagulation. The observational findings did not establish causality but suggest potential differences in long-term cognitive outcomes.

A mathematical modeling study estimated that somatic DNA mutations alone could limit median human life span to roughly 146 to 194 years. The findings add to ongoing research suggesting that aging reflects multiple interacting biological processes rather than a single mechanism.

Older adults’ real-time ratings of their mental sharpness closely tracked objective cognitive performance during everyday activities in a smartwatch-based study. The observational findings suggest potential utility for monitoring cognitive change but did not establish causality.