Kelly S. Giovanello - US grants

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed project aims to examine the nature of hemispheric asymmetry reductions in older adults during tasks of episodic memory. In the current project, three event-related fMRI experiments are proposed which attempt to characterize the functional mechanisms and cognitive processes mediating age-related non-selective neural activations (i.e. recruitment of brain regions beyond those engaged by young adults). Two views have emerged to account for such age-associated neural activations. By the compensation view, age-related hemispheric asymmetry reductions may help to counteract age-related neurocognitive decline. According to the dedifferentiation view, age-related asymmetry reductions reflect a difficulty in recruiting specialized neural mechanisms. To differentiate between these views, we combine a variety of methods, including between-subjects comparisons, (i.e. high- versus low-functioning older adults), within-subject comparisons (e.g. subsequently remembered versus subsequently forgotten items), and comparisons of conditions which vary in their retrieval demand. In Experiment 1, we attempt to reconcile the results observed in previous episodic encoding studies of aging by combining within- and between-subjects comparisons in a single experiment. In Experiment 2, we explore retrieval-related neural activations in young adults under conditions which differ in retrieval demand. In Experiment 3, we investigate whether age-related non-selective activations extend to medial-temporal lobe (MTL) regions using a task (i.e., associative recognition) that places greater demands on the MTL than tasks previously used to examine this issue.

The project aims to improve how humans, particularly those with degenerative cognitive conditions or limited cognitive capacities, interact with complex computing or computer-enabled services (broadly called cyber-systems). To advance the state of user interfaces (UI) and create more adaptive interaction modalities, the foundational knowledge regarding human-cyber interaction (HCI) must incorporate more neuro-physiological evidence. The project proposes a three-step plan for attaining this advance. First, three experimental subject groups will be carefully selected and recruited for comparative analysis: 1) healthy and young adults 2) demented or near-demented older adults, and 3) adults suffering from mild brain trauma. Second, experimental sessions will be conducted based on incrementally complex information searching and messaging tasks that require executing the tasks inside an MRI machine.

The goal of the experimental phase is to collect neuronal activation patterns using fMRI, as well as behavioral data associated with response time and accuracy. Third, the experimental findings will be analyzed to establish potential association among neuronal evidence, behavior, and UI performance. The broad technical aim of the initiative is to establish and refine methods for gathering neuro-physiological evidence under complex HCI conditions, and develop new user modeling techniques for supporting flexible and effective interaction. Development of advanced user interfaces capable of monitoring and establishing risk factors associated with impending or existing brain-degenerative conditions is a longer term translational aim. The resources and outcomes produced will be broadly shared among scholars in computer and information science disciplines, with the aim of promoting and supporting training of next-generation HCI researchers.