Ageing and communication: Understanding the roles of cognition, speech production, and social participation

非常有限的研究已经解决了认知能力在老年言语产生中的潜在作用。因此，需要进行研究，以进一步了解核心认知能力和言语产生过程之间的关系，以及这些能力对健康老年人日常生活中的社会互动和沟通的潜在影响。这项研究将包括三个主要的子项目：1）对可能影响老年人言语产生的认知过程进行系统的回顾; 2）一项相关研究，调查特定认知能力（如信息处理速度和执行能力）在多大程度上影响老年人的言语产生。（注意）功能，预测老年人的言语产生能力; 3）一项相关性研究，调查老年人言语产生和认知能力的客观测量在多大程度上预测了他们自我报告的社会参与（例如社交网络规模、每周社交活动的时间）和日常生活中的沟通（例如引导对话、跟上对话以及年龄歧视行为的经历）。研究结果将通过会议报告和至少三份提交出版的手稿向科学受众传播。与我们的合作者，苏格兰老年人大会（SOPA）一起，我们将通过新闻稿和整个项目生命周期的一些活动吸引公众。这些将包括科学博览会和SOPA大会的演讲和研讨会，以及斯特拉斯克莱德大学参与周为多达100名代表举办的专门活动，以展示所有研究结果。这项研究将促进对该领域的科学理解，并为未来获得性言语障碍的临床研究做出贡献。它还旨在帮助发展和宣传干预工作，以加强老年人的沟通和生活质量。

Very limited research has addressed the potential role of cognitive abilities in speech production in older age. Research is therefore needed to advance understanding of the relationships amongst core cognitive abilities and speech production processes, and the potential impact of these abilities on healthy older adults' social interactions and communication in everyday life. The proposed research will comprise three key sub-projects: 1) a systematic review of the cognitive processes potentially impacting speech production in older age; 2) a correlational study investigating the extent to which specific cognitive abilities, such as information processing speed and executive (attentional) functioning, predict older adults' speech production abilities; and 3) a correlational study investigating the extent to which objective measures of older adults' speech production and cognitive abilities predict their self-reported social participation (e.g. social network size, hours of social activity per week) and communications in everyday life (e.g. leading conversations, keeping up with conversations, and experiences of ageist behaviours). The research findings will be disseminated to scientific audiences via conference presentations and at least three manuscripts submitted for publication. Together with our collaborator, the Scottish Older People's Assembly (SOPA), we will engage the public via press releases and a number of events throughout the life of the project. These will include science fair and SOPA Assembly presentations and workshops, and a dedicated event for up to 100 delegates at University of Strathclyde's Engage Week, to present all of the findings. The research will advance scientific understanding in the area, as well as contribute to future clinical research on acquired speech disorders. It is also aimed at helping to develop and inform interventional work for enhancing older adults' communications and quality of life.