Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction01:29

Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction

Alzheimer disease is a chronic, progressive, and irreversible neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia in older adults. It leads to gradual neuronal loss, causing cognitive decline, behavioral changes, and loss of functional independence.Risk Factors and EtiologyThe disease is multifactorial. Age is the strongest risk factor, with prevalence doubling every 5 years after age 65. Genetic factors include mutations in genes such as APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, which are associated...
Cognitive Development During Adulthood01:30

Cognitive Development During Adulthood

Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...
Intellectual Disability01:29

Intellectual Disability

Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in intellectual and adaptive functioning that manifest during the developmental period. This condition encompasses challenges in reasoning, memory, problem-solving, and learning, accompanied by impairments in everyday life skills, such as communication, self-care, and social interactions. Intellectual disability affects approximately 1% of the population in the United States, impacting an estimated 5...
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology01:23

Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology

Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter more...
Dementia l: Introduction01:22

Dementia l: Introduction

Dementia is an acquired, progressive syndrome characterized by a decline in multiple cognitive domains severe enough to impair daily functioning and reduce independence. Although memory loss is a central feature, the diagnosis requires additional deficits involving language, executive function, visuospatial skills, judgment, calculation, or abstract reasoning. These cognitive impairments reflect underlying neurodegenerative or vascular processes that gradually disrupt neuronal networks...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Exploring sensitive topics in assessment research through vignette-based interviewing.

BMC medical education·2026
Same author

Alpha2 agonists for sedation to produce better outcomes for adults with critical illness: a synopsis of the A2B RCT with cost-effectiveness and process evaluation.

Health technology assessment (Winchester, England)·2026
Same author

Interventions for the prevention and management of cardiometabolic multiple long-term conditions.

Lancet (London, England)·2026
Same author

Unravelling cognitive frailty: perceptions, misconceptions, and the path to prevention.

The Gerontologist·2026
Same author

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy: the broader complication burden.

BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·2026
Same author

PUSHing forward with healthcare emergency classification: Introducing the predictability-urgency-scale-harm model.

Medical teacher·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach
10:13

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach

Published on: February 14, 2014

Minor physical anomalies, intelligence, and cognitive decline.

David Hope1, Timothy Bates, Alan J Gow

  • 1Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology and Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.

Experimental Aging Research
|May 1, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Minor physical anomalies, like finger curvature, may indicate factors affecting cognitive aging. This study found finger curvature is linked to cognitive decline throughout life, suggesting it could be a marker for cognitive and physical aging processes.

More Related Videos

Symmetric Bihemispheric Postmortem Brain Cutting to Study Healthy and Pathological Brain Conditions in Humans
08:29

Symmetric Bihemispheric Postmortem Brain Cutting to Study Healthy and Pathological Brain Conditions in Humans

Published on: December 18, 2016

The 4 Mountains Test: A Short Test of Spatial Memory with High Sensitivity for the Diagnosis of Pre-dementia Alzheimer's Disease
06:23

The 4 Mountains Test: A Short Test of Spatial Memory with High Sensitivity for the Diagnosis of Pre-dementia Alzheimer's Disease

Published on: October 13, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 22, 2026

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach
10:13

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach

Published on: February 14, 2014

Symmetric Bihemispheric Postmortem Brain Cutting to Study Healthy and Pathological Brain Conditions in Humans
08:29

Symmetric Bihemispheric Postmortem Brain Cutting to Study Healthy and Pathological Brain Conditions in Humans

Published on: December 18, 2016

The 4 Mountains Test: A Short Test of Spatial Memory with High Sensitivity for the Diagnosis of Pre-dementia Alzheimer's Disease
06:23

The 4 Mountains Test: A Short Test of Spatial Memory with High Sensitivity for the Diagnosis of Pre-dementia Alzheimer's Disease

Published on: October 13, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Biomarkers

Background:

  • Minor physical anomalies are associated with developmental variations.
  • Increased frequency of anomalies has been linked to lower intelligence.
  • Finger curvature is examined as a potential marker for cognitive aging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate finger curvature as a marker for cognitive aging.
  • To evaluate the association between finger curvature and cognitive decline across the lifespan.
  • To explore if physical anomalies can predict cognitive changes.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1921.
  • Intelligence assessed at ages 11, 79, and 87.
  • High-resolution scanning of hands at age 87 to measure fifth digit curvature; multiple regression analysis used.

Main Results:

  • Finger curvature showed a significant association with cognitive decline across the lifespan (β= -.19, p= .02).
  • No significant association was found between finger curvature and intelligence at age 11.
  • Finger curvature was not significantly linked to cognitive decline between ages 79 and 87.

Conclusions:

  • Continuously varying minor physical anomalies may serve as cumulative markers for factors influencing cognitive change over a lifespan.
  • Finger curvature anomalies may reflect shared underlying causes of both cognitive and physical decline.
  • Physical anomalies could offer insights into the aging process and cognitive health.