Emotion Study (Improving Neural Dysregulation in Advanced Age: A Neurofeedback Approach)/Substudy: Flexible Brain Study
Overview
- Phase
- N/A
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Aging
- Sponsor
- University of Florida
- Enrollment
- 46
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Change in BOLD signal response
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 2 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
The proposed research applies the highly innovative technology of real-time functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rtfMRI) to examine plasticity of brain-regulatory mechanisms related to cognitive and affective processing and to determine benefits for cognition and affect in young and older adults and in Parkinson Disease (PD) patients.
Detailed Description
There is increasing evidence that age-related alterations in brain function associated with affective processing and attention contribute to these motivational and emotional changes with age. Based on these theoretical considerations as well as the previous study's data, the proposed research will apply well-tested emotion processing and attention paradigms to address the pivotal question of whether brain activity can be modulated in healthy aging and PD (in the substudy) via contingent rt-fMRI neurofeedback and whether this neuroregulatory modulation increases emotion processing and cognitive performance.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Young adults
- •aged 18-35 years of age
- •native English speaker
- •at least 8th grade education
- •generally physically and neurologically healthy as determined by the Health Demographics Screener
- •eligible for MRI as determined by the MRI Eligibility Interview (including not being pregnant)
- •scores within normal limits on a cognitive screener (MoCA)
- •no indication of serious psychiatric disturbance including major depression (based on Mental Health Screener)
- •willing and able to give informed consent
- •Inclusion Criteria: Older adults
Exclusion Criteria
- •Pregnant or possibly pregnant
- •Claustrophobia
- •Large pieces of metal in the body, particularly in the face and neck.
- •Piercings or metal implants that cannot be removed from the body
- •Surgery on the brain or any prior serious brain damage or disease
- •Dementia or severe cognitive disorders
- •use of antipsychotics, sedatives, or other medications with significant anticholinergic properties (due to potential influence on memory)
- •use of prescribed 'memory enhancing' medications such as Aricept or Namenda.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change in BOLD signal response
Time Frame: Baseline; Day 8
Change in blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal response of the anterior cingulate cortex.