Grant: Catalyst Grant: Pilot Projects in Aging - Biological & Clinical Aspects of Aging

Normal aging is linked to declines in brain functions: a common concern among the elderly population. One of the functions that decline most notably with aging is the ability to temporarily remember and process information at the same time - a function called "Working Memory". Working memory plays a central role in daily thinking in that it is responsible for planning, comprehension, and reasoning. This proposal takes a novel approach that views brain functioning as a "circuit" with several regions working together as a network. In contrast to previous work that isolates specific brain regions and processes, our proposal will produce data enlightening the full picture that takes into account age-related changes in the whole brain and how it processes information over time. It will serve as a basis to identify the underlying reason for such changes. The current proposal is intended as a pilot study for a larger-scale research project looking at mechanisms that reduce the declines in working memory with aging. Identifying and understanding factors responsible for changes in working memory will inform the design of remediation procedures that may improve brain functioning in the elderly population, increase their quality of life, and enhance the functional health status among older adults.