Our current work focuses on understanding subtle changes in everyday function that occur in healthy older adults as well as those who are experiencing early cognitive decline due to neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s disease and cerebrovascular diseases. We draw on our theoretical model for everyday action impairment based on data on populations with functional impairment (Omission-Commission Model). We also are developing interventions for people with dementia based on our early theoretical work. Our current research relies heavily on new technologies, including smartphones and virtual reality, to improve the efficiency of assessments and the delivery and effectiveness of interventions. The overarching goal of our research is to directly improve the everyday lives of older adults.
If you are interested in participating in our ongoing studies, please contact us here to learn more.
Assessing Everyday Function in Older Adults with the Virtual Kitchen
R01AG062503
Accurate assessment of everyday function in older adults is important for 1) informing capacity to live independently, 2) predicting cognitive decline, and 3) informing effective intervention strategies. However, the current benchmark standard for functional assessment (informant report) is not available for everyone, influenced by informant characteristics, and lacks ecological validity; and traditional performance-based tests require considerable time and training for administration and scoring. In collaboration with Takehiko Yamaguchi from the VR and Data Science Lab at Suwa University of Science in Japan, this project will evaluate the psychometric properties of a novel, non-immersive, tablet-based, virtual reality measure of everyday function for diverse older adults across the continuum of cognitive ability level, from healthy aging to mild dementia. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a valid, efficient, and sensitive measure of everyday function to be used in clinical and large-scale research settings. We are currently recruiting healthy older adults aged 65 and up and older adults with diagnoses of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia to participate in this study.
Motivated Memory in Older Adults
Motivation and activation of the reward system facilitates long term memory and enhances delayed memory in animal models and studies of healthy people; however, motivated memory has been minimally studied in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease related disorders (AD/ADRD), particularly in the early stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The proposed project seeks to examine the role of motivation in older adults with MCI using a novel, ecologically valid, behavioral paradigm, and neuroimaging techniques to provide greater insight into the neuropsychological and neural mechanisms of motivated memory in healthy older adults and those with MCI. Results of the proposed study will elucidate a more comprehensive understanding of the potential for motivation and the reward system as targets for the development of future interventions to enhance learning and memory for those with MCI. We are currently recruiting healthy older adults aged 65 and up and older adults with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to participate in this study.
Translation & Clinical Implementation of a Test of Language & STM in Aphasia (TALSA): TALSA Measures of Verbal STM as Predictors of Mild Cognitive Impairment & Dementia
This collaboration with Nadine Martin and Ingrid Olson examines verbal short-term memory, which is impaired in stroke-related aphasia, in older adults with vascular risk factors in an attempt to develop an integrated framework of risk factors for both stroke and dementia.