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Open research questions in Cognitive Functions and Memory

185 gap statements mined from Cognitive Functions and Memory papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 1,485 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The extent to which working memory functioning can be enhanced in healthy adults is still unclear. The efficacy of different training programs in improving working memory capacity is still unclear. There is a need to aggregate the results of multiple meta-analyses to ascertain the efficacy of different training programs.

    Examining Working Memory Training for Healthy Adults—A Second-Order Meta-Analysis · 2024 · DOI

  • The need to develop a diagnostic questionnaire that can accurately identify Counterexample and Statistical reasoners. The challenge of modifying strategy use and examining its effects on performance.

    Are There Two Kinds of Reasoners? · 2024 · DOI

  • Further investigation within a larger scale randomized clinical trial (RCT) is warranted.

    Feasibility of an online cognitive intervention: The Swedish Memory and Attention ReTraining-digital (SMART-d) · 2026 · DOI

  • The relationship between cognitive deficits and interpretation of deception in aMCI patients is not well understood. Prior work has not examined the motives for interpreting deception in aMCI patients. The study aims to address this gap by examining the perception of deception in aMCI patients.

    An Examination of the Motives for Attributing and Interpreting Deception in People with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment · 2024 · DOI

  • There is no consensus on the underlying processes of human reasoning. The relationship between cognitive ability and strategy use is not well understood. The extent to which strategy use can be modified is unknown.

    Are There Two Kinds of Reasoners? · 2024 · DOI

  • People with transient epileptic amnesia (TEA) experience deficits in memory, however, little is known about their everyday experience of this, and no memory intervention studies have been conducted within this group.

    Exploring the everyday impacts and memory intervention needs of people with transient epileptic amnesia: A qualitative study · 2024 · DOI

  • There is a lack of research on the impact of performance invalidity on premorbid intellectual function estimation. Prior studies have not examined the effect of invalid performance on different premorbid estimation models.

    Performance Invalidity is Associated with Lower Test of Premorbid Functioning IQ Estimates in Performance-Based Versus Demographics-Based Prediction Models: Implications for Neuropsychological Practice and Research · 2026 · DOI

  • Prior studies have not examined both prosaccade and antisaccade metrics in relation to age. Prior studies have not used advanced statistical analysis to examine the effects of age on saccade behavior. The study fills the gap by examining age-related changes in saccade behavior using eye-tracking data and statistical analysis.

    Age-related changes in saccade behavior · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a gap in understanding the role of student activities in supporting key cognitive functions. Little empirical attention has been paid to the specific role of student activities in supporting cognitive development.

    Student Activities and Cognitive Development: A Psychological Perspective on Memory and Attention · 2026 · DOI

  • Given the high rates of co-occurring conditions such as social anxiety disorder, depression, and personality disorders among Hikikomori cases (Teo & Gaw, 2010), it remains unclear whether the observed cognitive deficits are specific to Hikikomori itself.

    Executive Dysfunction and Memory Impairments in Hikikomori: A Neuropsychological Case-Control Study from Oman · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for a freely available narrative recall task for detecting mild cognitive impairment. The lack of a non-proprietary narrative recall task with psychometric properties on par with the NACC UDS-3 standard.

    The Puppy Escape Narrative: Validation of an Openly Available Recall Task for MCI Detection · 2026 · DOI

  • The challenge of developing a comprehensive test battery that can measure cognition in daily life. The challenge of examining the sensitivity of each test to contextual factors, such as stress, affect, and social interactions. The challenge of determining the optimal assessment strategy, including the number of assessments and participants needed.

    Developing a psychological test battery to measure cognition in daily life · 2026 · DOI

  • The limited number of brief cognitive tests used in high-frequency cognitive assessment (HFCA) studies. The lack of understanding of the psychometric characteristics of various cognitive tasks. The need for guidance on task selection and assessment strategy in HFCA studies.

    Developing a psychological test battery to measure cognition in daily life · 2026 · DOI

  • This study replicates earlier findings of reduced intention execution in ADHD and provides preliminary support for episodic future thinking as a strategy to enhance PM in daily life, though its effects may depend on verbal ability, warranting further research.

    Episodic Future Thinking Improves Everyday Prospective Memory Performance in Adults With a Previous Diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder by Community Providers · 2026 · DOI

  • The underlying neural mechanisms of prospective memory deficits in Parkinson's disease remain poorly understood. There is a need for more sensitive tools to enhance the early identification and characterization of cognitive deficits in PD. The study addresses the gap in understanding the neurophysiological signatures of PM in PD patients.

    Neural correlates of prospective memory in Parkinson’s disease: a high-density EEG study · 2026 · DOI

  • Traditional laboratory prospective memory tasks do not capture the complexity of prospective memory in everyday life. There is a need for a task that captures the component of prospective memory that requires switching attention between environmental stimuli.

    Poorer event-based compared to time-based prospective memory in a computerized household chores task · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should investigate other potential predictors of fake news vulnerability. Future research should develop interventions to reduce fake news vulnerability.

    The Higher You Think of Yourself, the Harder You Fall · 2025 · DOI

  • The gap is the unknown role of memory overconfidence in fake news vulnerability. Prior research has not investigated the relationship between memory overconfidence and fake news vulnerability.

    The Higher You Think of Yourself, the Harder You Fall · 2025 · DOI

  • Investigate the effects of ego depletion on TBPM in different age groups. Examine the long-term effects of ego depletion on TBPM. Explore the use of reminders as a strategy to improve TBPM performance under ego-depletion conditions.

    From internal timing to external clock-checking: the impact of ego depletion on dual-path attention in TBPM and the precise remediation by reminders · 2026 · DOI

  • The study also explores the effect of reminders on mitigating time-based prospective memory deficits following depletion, which is a novel contribution to the field.

    From internal timing to external clock-checking: the impact of ego depletion on dual-path attention in TBPM and the precise remediation by reminders · 2026 · DOI

  • Addressing the specific needs of students with Specific Learning Disabilities in the development and delivery of the intervention.

    The Effect of a Working Memory Intervention Package on the Working Memory Performance of Primary School Students with Specific Learning Disabilities · 2025 · DOI

  • Further research is needed to examine the effects of different training programs on working memory, - Research should investigate the long-term effects of working memory training, - Studies should examine the effects of working memory training on different age groups…

    Examining Working Memory Training for Healthy Adults—A Second-Order Meta-Analysis · 2024 · DOI

  • Investigate the neural mechanisms underlying the shift from proactive to reactive control in GD - Examine the effects of different types of games and gaming habits on cognitive control - Explore the potential benefits of cognitive training programs for individuals…

    Shifting from Proactive to Reactive Control: Cognitive Control in Action Video Game Players with Gaming Disorder · 2026 · DOI

  • Further validation of the Puppy Escape task in different populations. Comparison of the Puppy Escape task with other narrative recall instruments. Evaluation of the task's sensitivity to change over time.

    The Puppy Escape Narrative: Validation of an Openly Available Recall Task for MCI Detection · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigating the effects of medication on PM in PD patients, - Examining the relationship between PM and other cognitive functions in PD, - Developing more sensitive tools to enhance the early identification and characterization of cognitive deficits…

    Neural correlates of prospective memory in Parkinson’s disease: a high-density EEG study · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Cognitive Functions and Memory

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) Further investigation within a larger scale randomized clinical trial (RCT) is warranted (“Feasibility of an online cognitive intervention: The Swedish Memory and…”, 2026); (2) There is a lack of research on the impact of performance invalidity on premorbid intellectual function estimation (“Performance Invalidity is Associated with Lower Test of Premorbid Functioning…”, 2026); (3) The lack of a non-proprietary narrative recall task with psychometric properties on par with the NACC UDS-3 standard (“The Puppy Escape Narrative: Validation of an Openly Available Recall Task for…”, 2026); (4) The lack of understanding of the psychometric characteristics of various cognitive tasks (“Developing a psychological test battery to measure cognition in daily life”, 2026); (5) The underlying neural mechanisms of prospective memory deficits in Parkinson's disease remain poorly understood (“Neural correlates of prospective memory in Parkinson’s disease: a high-density…”, 2026). 185 gap statements have been mined from Cognitive Functions and Memory papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 1,485 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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