Neuropsychology and Cognition in Aging

描述（由申请人提供）：众所周知，认知变化可能发生在衰老过程中，从细微的改变到明显的痴呆。检测和表征这些认知变化，以及了解其生理基础、诊断意义和功能相关性已成为一个主要和日益增长的研究领域。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2 - 3年的培训计划，旨在为受训者提供坚实的认知和衰老神经心理学研究背景。受训者将接触并参与使用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影像学。主要重点是培养制定和开展研究以及在同行评议期刊上报告研究结果所需的技能。初级培训是通过学员与导师的关系进行的。正式的课程和研讨会加上非正式培训的机会。学员被鼓励利用整个项目教师的专业知识。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业的临床技能，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门有独特的设备来提供拟议的培训。它的优势包括广泛的教师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的多样性，对多元文化研究的重视，以及可供咨询的教师的专业知识。

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.