Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by poor sustained attention and concentration. Previous research suggests that auditory stimulation therapy (i.e., binaural beats), may be a promising way to enhance cognitive attention. To examine this, the current study recruited 210 individuals to participate in an online study. Participants completed the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) and a computerized attention task under three auditory conditions: 40 Hz binaural beats, white noise, and lyricless music. ADHD symptoms were examined as a continuous measure using total ASRS scores. Relative to the music condition, participants responded significantly faster during both the binaural beats and white noise conditions, with the fastest reaction times observed during binaural beats. Accuracy was significantly higher during both binaural beats and white noise than during music, with the highest accuracy observed during the white noise condition. Drift diffusion modelling further indicated that both binaural beats and white noise were associated with more efficient evidence accumulation than music. Higher ADHD symptom severity was associated with lower accuracy and reduced evidence accumulation, although the effects of the auditory conditions did not differ as a function of ADHD symptom severity. Additional research is needed to evaluate the potential of binaural beats and white noise as auditory interventions for enhancing attention.
Cognitive impairment and dementia have traditionally been regarded as issues associated with later life, although recent evidence suggests the need for preventive actions in midlife. While regular exercise has attracted considerable attention as a modifiable protective factor, research on the relationship between cognitive function and regular exercise during middle age remains limited, underscoring the need for further evidence. In this study, we examined the relationship between regular exercise and cognitive function among community-dwelling middle-aged adults. This cross-sectional study included 95 middle-aged adults (40‒59 years). The mean age (standard deviation) of participants was 51.2 (5.2) years, and 51 (53.7
Background: Caffeine’s ergogenic effects on cognitive function are well-established, but the potential confounding influence of withdrawal is less understood. This study examined the effects of caffeine withdrawal and withdrawal reversal on mood and cognitive performance in habitual caffeine consumers. Methods: Twenty-five (12 males) participants completed this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. During three separate visits, participants completed one of three experimental conditions: (a) placebo (PLA; 5 mg*kg− 1 maltodextrin), (b) 5 mg*kg− 1 caffeine anhydrous (CAF5mg), or (c) normal dose (ND) based on self-reported caffeine consumption habits. Reaction time and sequence recall tasks (Sport React, Croatia) were assessed at four timepoints: arrival, pre-ingestion, 30 min post-ingestion, and before departure, each performed three times. Participants performed a bench press session (warm-up and three sets to failure at 80
Executive functions (EFs) predict school readiness and academic achievement in young children. Cognitively enhanced physical activity (CEPA), defined as physical activity (PA) combined with concurrent cognitive tasks, may substantially enhance EFs in preschool-aged children. Given that EFs are crucial for children’s intellectual development and later achievements in life, we sought to systematically review the literature on the effects of CEPA on EFs in preschool children following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Web of Science, PubMed and APA PsycINFO were systematically searched from inception to June 2024 for the relevant literature using predetermined keywords. Only randomized controlled trials that had performed CEPA in healthy preschool children and evaluated EFs were included. Quality appraisal of the included studies was assessed via Cochrane RoB2 tool. Eight studies comprised of 838 participants met the inclusion criteria and were analysed. The most consistent improvements in EFs were found in exergaming studies, which fostered CEPA through interactive video games adjusted for preschool children. The meta-analysis revealed that CEPA programs led to significantly better EFs outcomes in children than control conditions, with longer program durations yielding the greatest improvements. Future research should compare the effect sizes of CEPA, standard PA, and isolated cognitive training in preschool populations.
This study examined whether expectation violations modulate the effectiveness of directed forgetting (DF) and whether this interaction varies with emotional valence. We hypothesised that unexpectedness may confer mnemonic resilience, protecting from later forgetting. Participants first learned symbol–stimulus contingencies (rule learning), followed by an encoding phase with new emotional and neutral stimuli that were either expected or violated the learned rule. Each stimulus was accompanied by a “remember” or “forget” cue, and a subsequent recognition test assessed memory performance for expected and unexpected items under both DF conditions. Unexpected stimuli were remembered better than expected ones, particularly through recollection, and this advantage persisted even under forget instructions, indicating resistance to DF. Forget cues reduced recollection overall, but this reduction was markedly stronger for expected than for unexpected items. Emotional valence partly moderated these effects with the expectation advantage for recollection being evident for negative and neutral stimuli but not for positive ones. Nevertheless, the weakening of the DF effect for unexpected stimuli occurred irrespective of emotional valence. These findings demonstrate that prediction error enhances memory formation and diminishes the efficacy of intentional forgetting, particularly for associatively richer, recollection-based memories. The results support a view of DF as a dynamic process constrained by encoding factors such as surprise and emotional salience, with implications for theories of memory control and applications in education and memory training.
