Neurobiological Mechanisms of Aging and Stress on Prospective Navigation

Launched by GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · Mar 27, 2019

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how aging and stress affect our ability to remember and navigate in new environments. Researchers want to understand why some older adults struggle more with memory and planning routes than others. Participants will be assigned to two different groups: one will experience stress during the study, while the other will not. Both groups will take part in a navigation task that tests their memory and planning skills. The goal is to see if stress impacts how well participants can think about future locations and plan their routes, potentially leading them to rely on less flexible habits instead of using their memory.

To participate, individuals must be between 65 and 80 years old, fluent in English, and willing to come to Georgia Tech for group testing sessions. Certain health conditions, such as epilepsy, dementia, or ongoing mental health issues, will exclude potential participants to ensure a focus on healthy aging. The study will use brain imaging and behavioral tests to gather information, and participants can expect to engage in tasks designed to challenge their memory and navigation abilities. If you or a loved one meet the eligibility criteria, this could be an interesting opportunity to contribute to understanding how we navigate and remember as we age.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • adults 65-80
• • U.S. citizens or permanent residents
• • who speak fluent English
• • willing to come to Georgia Tech to participate in group testing sessions.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Individuals will be carefully screened using IRB-approved procedures for safety contraindications to MRI and electrical shock stimulation
• • (e.g., metal or electrical implants, heart arrhythmia, or medication affecting the cardiovascular system \[e.g. beta-blockers\]).
• The purpose of this study is to investigate mechanisms of normally functioning memory, and memory-related changes in healthy aging. Thus, any confounding factors that may influence cognition, other than age, will be exclusionary. Potential participants that endorse any of the following conditions will be excluded from the study:
• • Epilepsy
• • Dementia
• • Parkinson's disease
• • history of stroke or seizure
• • psychiatric disorders
• • untreated depression or emotional conditions
• • Attention Deficit Disorder
• • Multiple Sclerosis
• • uncontrolled hyper- or hypo-tension
• • untreated Diabetes
• • Sickle Cell Anemia
• • regularly use illegal or psychoactive drugs (e.g., cocaine, alcohol abuse, etc).
• • Additionally, individuals scoring \< 3 on WAIS-R forward span, \< 2 on WAIS-R backward span, and failing to name more than 2 vegetable names will be excluded from the study. These exclusions will insure that persons with mild cognitive impairment or typical indications of clinical dementia will be not participate in the research.