Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100406
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,936.00
Summary
Cognitive Compensation in Ageing. Decline in cognitive control can have a devastating effect on an individual's capacity to live a high quality and safe independent life. It is an untested assumption that older adults can compensate for age-related changes in cognitive control function to perform at the same level as younger adults. This project aims to be the first to test this widely-held assumption and will examine changes in cognitive control and the emergence of compensation over the adult ....Cognitive Compensation in Ageing. Decline in cognitive control can have a devastating effect on an individual's capacity to live a high quality and safe independent life. It is an untested assumption that older adults can compensate for age-related changes in cognitive control function to perform at the same level as younger adults. This project aims to be the first to test this widely-held assumption and will examine changes in cognitive control and the emergence of compensation over the adult lifespan (20 to 90 years). The project aims to establish whether cognitive compensation is an effective mechanism to maintain cognitive control function into old age and will inform future strategies to help older individuals live more successful and productive independent lives for longer.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101180
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$362,000.00
Summary
The neuroethics of cognitive ageing. As the workforce ages, Australian and international governments are prioritising brain health, seeking to increase economic productivity and reduce the costs of age-related cognitive decline. In addition to healthy lifestyle habits, certain neurotechnologies are being promoted as the means to protect cognitive performance. This project aims to explore the ethical issues and social pressures that ageing individuals experience as a result of cognitive ageing. U ....The neuroethics of cognitive ageing. As the workforce ages, Australian and international governments are prioritising brain health, seeking to increase economic productivity and reduce the costs of age-related cognitive decline. In addition to healthy lifestyle habits, certain neurotechnologies are being promoted as the means to protect cognitive performance. This project aims to explore the ethical issues and social pressures that ageing individuals experience as a result of cognitive ageing. Understanding later life from the perspective of ageing individuals may enable society to meet the ethical and policy challenges raised by emphasising cognitive wellbeing above other aspects in the ageing process.Read moreRead less
Wellbeing in the elderly: the role of respect. Due to advances in health care, many more Australians are living to old age. It is important to ensure that older people, who comprise a significant proportion of the population, maintain high levels of quality of life (QOL). One of the factors that impact on QOL of older people is the respect afforded to them. This project will determine the issues related to respect for older people in Australia, and produce an evidence-based strategy for encoura ....Wellbeing in the elderly: the role of respect. Due to advances in health care, many more Australians are living to old age. It is important to ensure that older people, who comprise a significant proportion of the population, maintain high levels of quality of life (QOL). One of the factors that impact on QOL of older people is the respect afforded to them. This project will determine the issues related to respect for older people in Australia, and produce an evidence-based strategy for encouraging Australians to adopt more positive attitudes and behaviours related to increasing levels of respect for older people. It is expected that the project will reduce the level of ageism and enhance the status of older people in Australia.Read moreRead less
Drivers of ageing and adaptive ageing in middle-aged and older adults. This project aims to answer crucial questions about how our early years influence our health and wellbeing in middle and later life. Drawing on one of Australia’s longest running studies of social and emotional development, we link decades of developmental data collected since 1983 to social, emotional, cognitive and physical wellbeing in participants turning 40 (midlife) and 70 (later life). It will provide insight into impo ....Drivers of ageing and adaptive ageing in middle-aged and older adults. This project aims to answer crucial questions about how our early years influence our health and wellbeing in middle and later life. Drawing on one of Australia’s longest running studies of social and emotional development, we link decades of developmental data collected since 1983 to social, emotional, cognitive and physical wellbeing in participants turning 40 (midlife) and 70 (later life). It will provide insight into important and largely unanswered questions about the way social factors in the first half of life shape our later selves. This study will inform government and health policy targeting ageing populations.
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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
ASPREE is the largest clinical trial ever conducted in Australia and will determine whether daily low dose aspirin prevents disease in healthy older people. The study was well-funded initially but will require additional support to complete the vital final stage of data collection and analysis. This will enable the study to answer important questions about the benefits and risks of aspirin in this age group and its effect on disability free survival.
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
Revisiting the 'Fourth Age': health, socioeconomic and cultural transformation of, and diversity in, Australia's oldest old population, 1981-2011. The oldest-old (those aged 85 years and over) is the fastest growing segment of the Australian population, and the changing make-up and experiences of this group needs attention. This project will expand our knowledge base about Australia's oldest old, helping to inform public policy and to improve discussions on what the 'Fourth Age' really means in ....Revisiting the 'Fourth Age': health, socioeconomic and cultural transformation of, and diversity in, Australia's oldest old population, 1981-2011. The oldest-old (those aged 85 years and over) is the fastest growing segment of the Australian population, and the changing make-up and experiences of this group needs attention. This project will expand our knowledge base about Australia's oldest old, helping to inform public policy and to improve discussions on what the 'Fourth Age' really means in Australia.Read moreRead less
The Older Australian Twins Study (OATS) Of Healthy Brain Ageing And Age-related Neurocognitive Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$940,960.00
Summary
Ageing is associated with cognitive decline and dementia. It is still not completely understood what relative contributions genes and environment play in these. This project is an extension of the Older Australian Twins Study to examine genetic and environmental factors associated with late life brain changes and dementia, and will establish an internationally significant cohort for novel discovery.
Footwear For Self-managing Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms: The Footstep Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$590,532.00
Summary
Self-management of symptoms is an important part of treatment for people with knee osteoarthritis. Footwear influences forces across the knee joint and it is unclear which types of shoes are best to minimise arthritis symptoms. This study will compare the effects of flat flexible shoes to stable supportive shoe styles on pain and physical function over 6 months in people with painful knee osteoarthritis.