Aging and Autobiographical Memory in Bilingual and Monolingual Hispanics.

项目总结/摘要 美国的西班牙裔将经历阿尔茨海默病（AD）的最大增长 在接下来的40年里，诊断开发可以提高准确检测的神经心理学测试 这一人群中与年龄相关的认知能力下降和AD的早期迹象对于解决这一问题至关重要 即将到来的社会和医疗危机。对大多数非西班牙裔白色人群的研究表明， 情景自传体记忆是对独特生活事件的记忆，它对正常认知敏感， 衰老和AD风险。有趣的是，情景自传体记忆可能是一种高度文化适应， 因此，它是西班牙裔人与年龄相关的认知能力下降和AD风险的准确认知测量，因为它 在现实世界中，“个性化”的事件，而不是更多的人工和潜在的文化加载学习 上下文（例如，单词列表）。然而，事实上，对于情景自传体记忆， 西班牙裔鉴于美国的大多数拉美裔人都是双语者， 自传体记忆和双语能力的关系也很重要。因此， 这项拟议中的研究是首次调查美国样本中的情景自传体记忆， 双语和单语西班牙裔，同时检查可能影响记忆的相关因素 性能我将通过三个目标来实现这一目标。在第一个目标下，我提出了“是情节性的”这个问题 自传体记忆对年龄的敏感性？”目标2，我调查双语是否是 与西班牙裔的情景自传体记忆有关。最后，通过目标3，这是一个探索性的 目的，我研究西班牙裔的情景自传体记忆是否在编码时受到语言的调节 /检索或是否与抑制有关。我的希望是，通过解决这些目标，我们将介绍情节 自传体记忆测试作为一种新的神经心理学方法，通过它可以准确地捕捉 与年龄相关的记忆力下降，这可以为进一步研究西班牙裔美国人的特征奠定基础。 AD风险的认知特征。与美国国立卫生研究院的目标一致， 生物医学劳动力的多样性，该奖学金的培训目标是显着推进 我的目标是成为一名临床神经心理学家和独立研究人员，其研究和临床 实践将有助于更好地理解如何改善记忆障碍的评估， 其他神经退行性疾病。此外，通过拟议的培训机会，我 我期望我将：1）有助于开发新的神经心理学措施，改善 对西班牙裔记忆障碍早期检测的敏感性; 2）学习如何建立持久的 大学，诊所和社区之间的关系; 3）在评估中采用最佳实践， 西班牙裔的待遇;和4）提高我的技能，在进行开放和可重复的科学。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Hispanics in the United States (US) will experience the greatest increase in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnoses in the next four decades. Developing neuropsychological tests that can improve accurate detection of age-related cognitive decline and early signs of AD in this population is essential for addressing this impending social and healthcare crisis. Studies with majority non-Hispanic white populations have shown that episodic autobiographical memory, which is memory for unique life events, is sensitive to normal cognitive aging and AD risk. Intriguingly, episodic autobiographical memory may be a highly culturally appropriate, and thus accurate, cognitive measure of age-related cognitive decline and AD risk for Hispanics, because it draws on real-world, “personalized” events as opposed to more artificial and potentially culturally loaded learning contexts (e.g., word lists). However, virtually nothing is known about episodic autobiographical memory in Hispanics. Given that the majority of Hispanics in the US are bilingual, examining how episodic autobiographical memory and bilingualism are related is important as well. Therefore, the overarching goal of the proposed research is to investigate, for the first time, episodic autobiographical memory in a US sample of bilingual and monolingual Hispanics, while examining related factors that might influence memory performance. I will address this goal through three aims. Under the first aim, I ask the question “is episodic autobiographical memory sensitive to age in US Hispanics?” With aim 2, I investigate if bilingualism is associated with episodic autobiographical memory in Hispanics. Finally, through aim 3, which is an exploratory aim, I examine whether episodic autobiographical memory in Hispanics is modulated by language at encoding / retrieval or if it is related to inhibition. My hope is that by addressing these aims, we will introduce episodic autobiographical memory testing as a novel neuropsychological approach through which to accurately capture age-related memory decline in US Hispanics, which can set the stage for further work on characterizing the cognitive profile of AD risk in this population. In line with the goal of the National Institutes of Health to enhance diversity in the biomedical workforce, the training goals for this fellowship are intended to significantly advance my goals to become a clinical neuropsychologist and independent researcher whose research and clinical practice will contribute to a better understanding of how to improve the evaluation of memory disorders and other neurodegenerative diseases in US Hispanics. In addition, through the proposed training opportunities, I anticipate that I will: 1) contribute to the development of novel neuropsychological measures that improve sensitivity to the early detection of memory disorders in Hispanics; 2) learn how to establish lasting relationships between the university, clinic, and community; 3) embrace best practice in the assessment and treatment of Hispanics; and 4) improve my skills in conducting open and reproducible science.