CENTER FOR APPLIED COGNITIVE RESEARCH ON AGING

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There is a large and rapidly-growing body of literature in the field of changes in cognition that occur with advance age. Based on this research, cognitive aging psychologists have made substantial gains in understanding the mechanisms which account for age-related decline. As a result of this knowledge, cognitive aging psychologists are well-positioned to use this information to design interventions which will enhance the function of older adults in situations with cognitive demands. To date, however, little work in this area of applications has occurred. Thus, the primary goal of this proposal is to establish the Southeastern Center for Applied Cognitive Aging Research which will harness existing knowledge about age-related declines in cognition into applications. The center will fund a cadre of cognitive aging researchers who will work together to develop cognitive supports, training materials and programs based on cognitive principles that will enhance the ability of older adults to function in cognitively-demanding situations that are important for every-day function. The focus of the Center is on designing practical applications and interventions in domains that are critical to the older adult's ability to maintain community-dwelling status and to continue to function independently. The center is a consortium of three institutions (University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, & Memphis State) and four investigators who have a long history of collaboration in the area of cognitive aging. Senior investigators, Denise Park at the University of Georgia, and Arthur D. Fisk at Georgia Tech, are both experienced in applied and basic cognitive research and will work in concert with two of their former students (Wendy Roger at Memphis State and Roger Morrell at the University of Georgia) and with Neff Walker, an expert at Georgia Tech in motor control, to comprise the nucleus of the Southeastern Center. The goal of the Center is to not only expand the work of these primary investigators in applied cognitive aging, but also to draw upon the rich resources in cognitive aging in the area and use them to better define and develop the field of applied cognitive aging through a fellows program, a seed grant program, and through two national conferences. The Center has a core and three research component. Denise C. Park will serve as Center Director and will administer the core. Her component project is on medication adherence in a group of low-SES hypertensive elderly. Roger Morrell will examine computer training strategies and the use of the computer as a social support system for elderly. Dan Fisk and Wendy Rogers will work on the development of a taxonomic framework for understanding age-related changes in human performance to be applied to automatic teller machines, bill evaluation, public transportation usage, and others. Specific products that will result from the Southeastern Center include software tutorials, training programs for computer usage, and specific techniques and devices (all inexpensive) which have been demonstrated to improve medication adherence in older adults.