Improving cognitive function in the elderly. The ageing population has been identified as one of the major issues facing contemporary Australian society. For Australia, human ageing has significant societal, economic and, importantly, personal/human costs. The economic costs associated with ageing reflect decreased productivity as well as a higher incidence of a variety of illnesses including cardiovascular and respiratory disease and, importantly, neurological conditions such as Parkinson's dis ....Improving cognitive function in the elderly. The ageing population has been identified as one of the major issues facing contemporary Australian society. For Australia, human ageing has significant societal, economic and, importantly, personal/human costs. The economic costs associated with ageing reflect decreased productivity as well as a higher incidence of a variety of illnesses including cardiovascular and respiratory disease and, importantly, neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). We will complete two large scale studies examining the efficacy of twelve months administration of two pharmacologically active supplements in reducing the cognitive effects of aging in elderly participants.
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Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0239381
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$100,000.00
Summary
Sleep-wake problems in people without primary sleep disorders. Portable sleep recording equipment will enable research to be conducted on sleep wake issues in people under a variety of conditions; such as those arising from substance intake (alcohol, nicotine, caffeine), life stage (menopause, elderly), developmental disorders (intellectual disability, autism, fragile X, ADHD) and other syndromes (chronic pain, depression). This is of particular significance given that sleep problems can cause ....Sleep-wake problems in people without primary sleep disorders. Portable sleep recording equipment will enable research to be conducted on sleep wake issues in people under a variety of conditions; such as those arising from substance intake (alcohol, nicotine, caffeine), life stage (menopause, elderly), developmental disorders (intellectual disability, autism, fragile X, ADHD) and other syndromes (chronic pain, depression). This is of particular significance given that sleep problems can cause daytime sleepiness, fatigue, poor vigilance, lack of attention, negative mood and poor memory. The establishment of this cross-institutional collaborative facility will permit ongoing scientific investigation of such sleep-wake issues with beneficial health and safety implications for community.Read moreRead less
Glucose facilitation of cognitive function: Effects of effort, age and glucose control. Age-related decline in mental capacity contributes to the economic (estimated at over 2 trillion AUD by 2050), social and human costs of an increasingly older Australian population. The studies in this program aim to understand the role of poor control of blood glucose in age-related cognitive deficits. The role of individual differences in biological (hormonal responses) and psychological (stress and appetit ....Glucose facilitation of cognitive function: Effects of effort, age and glucose control. Age-related decline in mental capacity contributes to the economic (estimated at over 2 trillion AUD by 2050), social and human costs of an increasingly older Australian population. The studies in this program aim to understand the role of poor control of blood glucose in age-related cognitive deficits. The role of individual differences in biological (hormonal responses) and psychological (stress and appetite) factors will also be assessed. A better understanding of the nature of age-related cognitive decline as it relates to biological processes such as blood glucose control will help to develop tangible strategies to combat age-related cognitive decline and dementia (which has been described as Type 3 diabetes).Read moreRead less
Ageing and the allocation of selective attention over time: behavioural, neurophysiological and neuroanatomical correlates. Only by fully understanding cognitive decline that occurs with age can we hope to provide appropriate interventions to slow or arrest the underlying neural degeneration. Part A, the first of three consecutive parts, will use novel paradigms to investigate various aspects of selective attention and cognition. Part B will investigate the regions of the brain underlying the te ....Ageing and the allocation of selective attention over time: behavioural, neurophysiological and neuroanatomical correlates. Only by fully understanding cognitive decline that occurs with age can we hope to provide appropriate interventions to slow or arrest the underlying neural degeneration. Part A, the first of three consecutive parts, will use novel paradigms to investigate various aspects of selective attention and cognition. Part B will investigate the regions of the brain underlying the temporal allocation of selective attention by comparing the performance of patients with focal lesions, and separately by using event-related potential (ERP) technology. Finally, Part C will evaluate the rate and type of cognitive decline with age using a range of reaction time-independent tasksRead moreRead less
Age and Gender Related Changes in Motor Control of the Upper Airway Muscle Genioglossus During Sleep. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is the repetitive obstruction of the airway during sleep. Obstructions occur because muscles of the upper airway fail to keep the airway open during inspiration. The disorder is associated with cardiovascular disease and cognitive and behavioural impairment. The prevalence of the disorder increases in older adults, contributing to age-related health and behavioural ....Age and Gender Related Changes in Motor Control of the Upper Airway Muscle Genioglossus During Sleep. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is the repetitive obstruction of the airway during sleep. Obstructions occur because muscles of the upper airway fail to keep the airway open during inspiration. The disorder is associated with cardiovascular disease and cognitive and behavioural impairment. The prevalence of the disorder increases in older adults, contributing to age-related health and behavioural problems. However, age-related changes differ in men and women. We believe the high prevalence of OSA in older adults is due to age and gender related changes in the activity of muscles in the upper airway. We will study the behaviour of the upper airway muscle genioglossus during sleep in young, middle-aged and older men and women.Read moreRead less
Brides and Grandmothers: Challenges for Older Filipinos in Australia. This project investigates the settlement, acculturation experiences, and psychological wellbeing of older Filipino women who arrived in Australia under different circumstances. Some have migrated to Australia as young brides to marry Australian citizens and some as grandmothers to be reunited with family members. Five hundred older Filipino women, and a group of 100 men living in rural and urban areas, will participate in the ....Brides and Grandmothers: Challenges for Older Filipinos in Australia. This project investigates the settlement, acculturation experiences, and psychological wellbeing of older Filipino women who arrived in Australia under different circumstances. Some have migrated to Australia as young brides to marry Australian citizens and some as grandmothers to be reunited with family members. Five hundred older Filipino women, and a group of 100 men living in rural and urban areas, will participate in the project. The findings will enhance the understanding of the social and psychological needs of this special group of migrants and will assist in the planning of immigration policies and culturally appropriate health services for older migrants.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354800
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Brain and Behaviour Network. The Brain and Behaviour Network is concerned with understanding the underlying mechanisms which determine how we behave. It encompasses many disciplines including anthropology, education, ethology, neurology, neuroscience, philosophy and psychology. The Network will bring these disciplines together to create a forum to discuss and integrate the knowledge into a framework for understanding the mechanisms of behaviour and to stimulate cross-disciplinary research. The f ....Brain and Behaviour Network. The Brain and Behaviour Network is concerned with understanding the underlying mechanisms which determine how we behave. It encompasses many disciplines including anthropology, education, ethology, neurology, neuroscience, philosophy and psychology. The Network will bring these disciplines together to create a forum to discuss and integrate the knowledge into a framework for understanding the mechanisms of behaviour and to stimulate cross-disciplinary research. The framework of knowledge will lead to a greater understanding of how we behave and will improve knowledge in areas which have a major behavioural component, such as in human development and education, psychological well-being, psychiatric problems and ageing.Read moreRead less
Managing older driver safe mobility: An international collaboration. The prevalence of medical conditions and impairments in older adults and their likely implications for crashes is considerable and will be an increasing problem into the future without appropriate intervention. There are serious gaps in knowledge about older drivers real-world driving and we cannot reliably predict those most at-risk. Current procedures for assessing driving lack scientific basis and offer clinicians little gui ....Managing older driver safe mobility: An international collaboration. The prevalence of medical conditions and impairments in older adults and their likely implications for crashes is considerable and will be an increasing problem into the future without appropriate intervention. There are serious gaps in knowledge about older drivers real-world driving and we cannot reliably predict those most at-risk. Current procedures for assessing driving lack scientific basis and offer clinicians little guidance about fitness-to-drive. The proposed research offers a comprehensive international collaborative approach to enhance the safe mobility and quality of life of older Australian drivers, through development of evidence-based screening for safe driving, innovative training and other management solutions.Read moreRead less
Resolving multi-sensory conflict as we age: audio-visual integration and the role of normal and abnormal sensory decline. Australia has an ageing population. Even the healthiest older individuals undergo some deterioration of vision and hearing, however, these senses are almost invariably studied in isolation. The real world is multisensory. This project will enhance our knowledge of how ageing impacts on the interpretation of visual and auditory information regarding the timing and location of ....Resolving multi-sensory conflict as we age: audio-visual integration and the role of normal and abnormal sensory decline. Australia has an ageing population. Even the healthiest older individuals undergo some deterioration of vision and hearing, however, these senses are almost invariably studied in isolation. The real world is multisensory. This project will enhance our knowledge of how ageing impacts on the interpretation of visual and auditory information regarding the timing and location of objects; essential precursors to many real world tasks, for example: driving, interpreting speech, and hazard avoidance. This knowledge is essential for the optimisation of audio-visual environments for the elderly, and for the development of tools to improve performance in the presence of sensory decline due to age-related eye disease.Read moreRead less
Understanding the consequences of normal ageing on visual form perception. Australia has an ageing population. Within the elderly, vision is a key sense that contributes significantly to the maintenance of independence, mobility and participation in society. This project will enhance our knowledge of the impact of ageing on vision. The research findings are important to a variety of disciplines involved in planning for our ageing population; for example: the design of living/working spaces for t ....Understanding the consequences of normal ageing on visual form perception. Australia has an ageing population. Within the elderly, vision is a key sense that contributes significantly to the maintenance of independence, mobility and participation in society. This project will enhance our knowledge of the impact of ageing on vision. The research findings are important to a variety of disciplines involved in planning for our ageing population; for example: the design of living/working spaces for the elderly, information technology, and the design of technology to assist with independent living. This project will train students in visual psychophysics, continuing the strong international reputation and output of Australian scientists in this discipline.Read moreRead less