Neuropsychology and Cognition in Aging

描述(申请人提供)：认识到认知变化可能发生在年龄，从微妙的变化到坦率的痴呆症。检测和描述这些认知变化，以及了解它们的生理基础、诊断意义和功能相关性一直是一个主要的、不断增长的研究领域。神经心理学和认知心理学显然在这项研究中发挥了重要作用。我们已经建立了一个为期2到3年的培训计划，旨在为学员提供关于衰老认知和神经心理学的坚实研究背景。学员接触并参与广泛的相关研究方法的研究，包括经典的神经心理学评估、实验认知技术、神经流行病学和认知神经成像。主要的重点是培养制定和开展研究所需的技能，并在同行评议的期刊上报告研究结果。初级培训是通过受训者和导师之间的关系进行的。提供正式的课程和研讨会以及更多非正式培训的机会。实习生被鼓励利用整个项目教员的专业知识。虽然我们的目标不是培训临床医生，但我们包括一些临床培训，因为这一领域需要专门的临床技能，而许多好的研究源于敏锐的临床观察。Sergievsky中心和Tanb研究所的认知神经科学部配备独特，可以提供拟议的培训。它的优势包括广泛的院系专业知识和正在进行的研究，可用于研究和临床培训的患者和正常老年人口的多样性，对多元文化研究的高度重视，以及可供咨询的教职员工的专业知识。 目前共有5名受训人员正在接受或已经完成培训。很快就会选出第六个人。最初的计划在任何时候都与2名实习生合作。我们收到了一份少数民族补贴，以增加第三名实习生。我们现在建议将这一更改永久化，以便在任何时候与3名受训人员一起工作。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): It is recognized that cognitive changes may occur in aging, ranging from subtle alterations to frank dementia. Detecting and characterizing these cognitive changes, as well as understanding their physiologic basis, diagnostic implication and functional correlates has been a major and growing research domain. Neuropsychology and cognitive psychology clearly play a major role in this research. We have established a 2 to 3-year training program designed to give the trainee a solid research background in the cognition and neuropsychology of aging. The trainee is exposed to and participates in studies utilizing a broad range of interrelated research approaches, including classic neuropsyehological evaluation, experimental cognitive techniques, neuroepidemiology, and cognitive neuroimaging. The primary emphasis is on fostering the skills needed to formulate and carry out research, and to report findings in peer-reviewed journals. Primary training comes through the trainee-preceptor relationship. Formal classes and seminars plus opportunities for more informal training are available. Trainees are encouraged to avail themselves of the expertise of the entire program faculty. While our goal is not to train clinicians, we include some clinical training because this area requires specialized clinical skills and much good research stems from astute clinical observation. The Cognitive Neuroscience Division at the Sergievsky Center and Tanb Institute is uniquely equipped to provide the proposed training. Its strengths include a wide range of faculties' expertise and ongoing research, diversity of patient and normal elderly populations available for research and clinical training, a strong emphasis on multicultural research, and expertise of faculty members available for consultation. A total of 5 trainees are currently receiving or have completed training. A sixth will be selected shortly. The original program worked with 2 trainees at any one time. We received a minority supplement to add a third trainee. We now propose to make this change permanent in order to work with 3 trainees at any one time.