Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

A portion of the aging population has recently been identified as meeting criteria for Motoric Cognitive Risk syndrome (MCR), characterized by cognitive complaints (e.g., difficulty remembering) and slow walking speed, which places them at a greater risk for developing dementia. Early interventions are therefore needed to prevent or slow the progression of cognitive and physical decline in this at-risk population. Tests that assess cognitive task performance (e.g., subtracting) simultaneously with a motor task (e.g., walking; termed dual-tasking) are particularly challenging for those with MCR. We have recently shown that computerized cognitive training improves dual-task performance in healthy older adults. However, we do not yet know how brain activity changes during dual-task walking in older adults with MCR or in response to training. Therefore, the aim of this research is to examine brain activity during dual-task walking before and after cognitive training in healthy older adults and those with MCR. Evidence from neuroimaging shows greater activation in frontal brain regions during dual-tasking in older adults, compared to younger adults, which might represent a compensatory mechanism for declining brain structure. As such, we predict that prior to training, older adults with MCR will have greater frontal brain activation during dual-tasking compared to healthy older adults (suggesting less brain efficiency). However, following 12 weeks of cognitive training, we expect that the pattern of brain activity during dual-tasking will become more efficient due to enhanced cognitive capacity. The proposed research will shed light on how brain activity during dual-tasking changes after cognitive training in MCR, which will help optimize intervention strategies aimed at slowing the progression of cognitive and physical decline in older adults at risk of dementia.