PSYCHIATRIC ASSESSMENT OF COGNITION IN THE ELDERLY

此应用程序的目标是使博士. Leuchter的承担 一项新的研究计划集中在老年人的认知神经生理学上。 博士Leuchter建议开发新的技能：1）使用认知 大脑激活的任务; 2）记录神经生理数据 在任务执行过程中;和3）老化认知变化的研究。 他已经挑选了一个专家顾问小组，他们将与他合作， 培养这些技能。 在这个奖项的支持下，Leuchter博士将利用他的 定量脑电图（QEEG）和磁共振成像 (MRI)研究青年人和老年人认知差异的方法 成年人，并研究伴随衰老的认知能力下降。他 将检验以下三个一般假设：1.差异 年轻人和老年人之间的认知将反映在 大脑激活和抑制的差异伴随认知 任务：2.患有深部白质病变的老年受试者 认知功能障碍的风险高于没有这些病变的人;以及3. 认知任务表现差的老年受试者， 影响大脑系统的白质病变， 性能，将面临更大的风险进行性或全球减值 比那些没有这种病变的人。卢彻特博士开发了增强型QEEG 可以提供更多关于大脑激活的信息的方法 在任务中比以前可能。他将在这方面使用这些方法。 修订研究计划，研究50名年轻人和100名老年人的QEEG 在执行一系列认知任务时。一些 老年受试者将具有发展为白色的风险因素- 物质损伤定量MRI将用于定位记录 电极与大脑的关系，并确定体积 白质疾病所有受试者将接受 入组时进行神经心理学成套测试、任务激活QEEG和MRI 在三年的研究中，将在以下方面进行比较： 年轻和老年受试者，以及老年受试者组，以确定 如果任务激活不足与较差的表现相关，和/或 认知能力下降

The goal of this application is to enable Dr. Leuchter's to undertake a new research program focused on cognitive neurophysiology in the elderly. Dr. Leuchter proposes to develop new skills in : 1) the use of cognitive tasks for cerebral activation; 2) the recording of neurophysiologic data during task performance; and 3) the study of cognitive changes in aging. He has selected a panel of expert consultants who will work with him to develop these skills. With the support of this Award, Dr. Leuchter will utilize his quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods to examine differences in cognition between young and old adults, and to study the cognitive decline that accompanies aging. He will test the following three general hypotheses: 1. Differences in cognition between young and elderly subjects will be reflected in differences in cerebral activation and inhibition accompanying cognitive tasks: 2. Elderly subjects with deep white-matter lesions are at greater risk for cognitive dysfunction than those without these lesions; and 3. Elderly subjects with poor performance on cognitive tasks, who have white-matter lesions that affect the brain systems showing poor performance, will be at greater risk for progressive or global impairment than those without such lesions. Dr. Leuchter has developed enhanced QEEG methods that may provide more information about cerebral activation during tasks than previously possible. He will use these methods in this revised research plan to study 50 young and 100 elderly adults with QEEG during the performance of a battery of cognitive tasks. Some of the elderly subjects will have risk factors for the development of white- matter lesions. Quantitative MRI will be used both the locate recording electrodes in relation to the brain, and to determine the volume of white-matter disease. All subjects will be examined with a neuropsychological test battery, task-activated QEEG, and MRI at entry into the study and at three years. Comparisons will be performed between young and old subjects, and with groups of elderly subjects, to determine if deficient task activation is associated with poorer performance and/or cognitive decline.