Boosting brain plasticity and motor function in older adults. Ageing is associated with a pronounced decline in many motor, cognitive, and other brain functions, but the cause remains elusive. This project will examine the mechanisms that contribute to a decline in brain plasticity and motor function in the elderly. Using novel brain stimulation techniques, the project aims to develop an optimal approach to boost plasticity in the ageing brain and improve motor function. A better understanding o ....Boosting brain plasticity and motor function in older adults. Ageing is associated with a pronounced decline in many motor, cognitive, and other brain functions, but the cause remains elusive. This project will examine the mechanisms that contribute to a decline in brain plasticity and motor function in the elderly. Using novel brain stimulation techniques, the project aims to develop an optimal approach to boost plasticity in the ageing brain and improve motor function. A better understanding of changes in brain function and plasticity with advancing age is expected to help to optimise the design of preventative programs aimed at rejuvenating motor and cognitive function in the elderly.Read moreRead less
Episodic foresight and ageing. Episodic foresight refers to the capacity to imagine future events, and consequently often involves the prediction of future needs based on hypothesised possible outcomes. It is therefore unsurprising that episodic foresight has been consistently linked to independent living and many functional behaviours. The aim of the project is to test the hypothesis that psychological changes brought about by ageing decrease the likelihood of acting prudently with the future i ....Episodic foresight and ageing. Episodic foresight refers to the capacity to imagine future events, and consequently often involves the prediction of future needs based on hypothesised possible outcomes. It is therefore unsurprising that episodic foresight has been consistently linked to independent living and many functional behaviours. The aim of the project is to test the hypothesis that psychological changes brought about by ageing decrease the likelihood of acting prudently with the future in mind. By advancing conceptual understanding of how, and under what circumstances, episodic foresight is affected in late adulthood, the proposed research has important implications for finding ways to help older adults maintain a productive and independent life. Read moreRead less
Ageing, trust, and financial exploitation: social, emotional and cognitive mechanisms. This project aims to understand how age-related differences in the processing of social and emotional information contribute to the exploitation of older adults' trust. This research will examine deception detection during financial negotiations and provide new strategies for ensuring the financial independence and well-being of older Australians.
The neurocognitive basis of dual-task co-ordination impairment in Alzheimer’s: defective coordination mechanism or differences in speed of processing? This project explores the effects of age, depression and Alzheimer’s disease on the ability to carry out two tasks at once, to determine whether difficulty doing so is due to slowed mental processing, or to a deficit in a mechanism responsible for task coordination. The project will advance cognitive theory and may help with diagnosis of dementia.
Ageing and self-regulation. Australia is faced with an ageing population, and thus an increasingly important national goal is ageing well and ageing productively. Our preliminary research suggests that self-regulation may be a significant problem for older Australians. The proposed research will provide a clearer picture of when and why older adults have difficulties regulating their behaviour, and which older adults are particularly susceptible to lapses in self-control. If older adults do hav ....Ageing and self-regulation. Australia is faced with an ageing population, and thus an increasingly important national goal is ageing well and ageing productively. Our preliminary research suggests that self-regulation may be a significant problem for older Australians. The proposed research will provide a clearer picture of when and why older adults have difficulties regulating their behaviour, and which older adults are particularly susceptible to lapses in self-control. If older adults do have difficulties self-regulating, and if these self-regulation failures incur health, financial and social costs, by gaining a clearer understanding of this problem, the proposed research will take an important step in improving the lives of older Australians. Read moreRead less
Everyday cognition in older adulthood: Mechanisms contributing to the age-prospective memory paradox. Australia is faced with an ageing population, and thus an increasingly important goal is ageing well and ageing productively. The proposed research will clarify why older adults perform extremely well on prospective memory (PM) tasks based in everyday environments, but very poorly on PM tasks that take place in the controlled situation of the laboratory. Advancing our understanding of why this ....Everyday cognition in older adulthood: Mechanisms contributing to the age-prospective memory paradox. Australia is faced with an ageing population, and thus an increasingly important goal is ageing well and ageing productively. The proposed research will clarify why older adults perform extremely well on prospective memory (PM) tasks based in everyday environments, but very poorly on PM tasks that take place in the controlled situation of the laboratory. Advancing our understanding of why this 'paradoxical' pattern of age effects occurs will help clarify how other aspects of everyday cognition in older adulthood may be optimised, and consequently take an important step in improving the lives of older adults. The results will also inform development of rehabilitation strategies for clinical groups who present with PM difficulties. Read moreRead less
The influence of resistance training upon movement control in the elderly. The primary aim of this applied research project is to investigate the impact of resistance training in the elderly. We will assess the responses to training that occur in the elderly, and determine the time course and persistence of adaptation. It is anticipated that the knowledge derived will be applied by clinicians and health practitioners in the design of resistance training programmes for the elderly, and thereby en ....The influence of resistance training upon movement control in the elderly. The primary aim of this applied research project is to investigate the impact of resistance training in the elderly. We will assess the responses to training that occur in the elderly, and determine the time course and persistence of adaptation. It is anticipated that the knowledge derived will be applied by clinicians and health practitioners in the design of resistance training programmes for the elderly, and thereby enhance the performance of tasks encountered in daily living.Read moreRead less
Retirement transition: a longitudinal P-E fit approach within a 'life expectancy' time framework. Retirement is an important career milestone, heralding the onset of potentially significant changes in health, finance, and activity. Australia's largest birth cohort, the baby boomers, is ageing and beginning the transition into retirement and yet little is known about how the shifts in culture and attitude will affect their ability to adjust. This research will identify the dominant needs of this ....Retirement transition: a longitudinal P-E fit approach within a 'life expectancy' time framework. Retirement is an important career milestone, heralding the onset of potentially significant changes in health, finance, and activity. Australia's largest birth cohort, the baby boomers, is ageing and beginning the transition into retirement and yet little is known about how the shifts in culture and attitude will affect their ability to adjust. This research will identify the dominant needs of this group, the resources required to fulfil them, and the factors associated with successful adjustment behaviours. Greater understanding on how self-rated longevity, health, finance and values interact to affect decision-making will have important implications for public policy and individual planning.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
Social cognitive change in late adulthood. This project aims to develop and test a model of how normal adult ageing affects the ability to perceive and interpret social cues, a critical predictor of social competency and well-being, and identify the most important determinants of any age-related changes. This project predicts that older adults who have the greatest difficulties perceiving and interpreting social cues will also have the poorest social function and well-being, so better understand ....Social cognitive change in late adulthood. This project aims to develop and test a model of how normal adult ageing affects the ability to perceive and interpret social cues, a critical predictor of social competency and well-being, and identify the most important determinants of any age-related changes. This project predicts that older adults who have the greatest difficulties perceiving and interpreting social cues will also have the poorest social function and well-being, so better understanding the mechanistic factors that drive resilience and risk for these difficulties is expected to have direct and important implications for Australia’s growing older adult community.Read moreRead less