Understanding the ageing brain: linking cognitive and neural change across the lifespan
26 September 2007
Understanding the ageing brain: linking cognitive and neural change across the lifespan
A workshop organised by the Centre for Speech, Language and the Brain which is part of the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Cambridge in conjunction with SPARC in support of Extending the Quality of Life of Older People.
Hosted by: Centre for Speech, Language and the Brain, University of Cambridge
Event organisers:
Professor Lorraine Tyler, University of Cambridge
Dr Meredith Shafto, University of Cambridge
Ms Verity Smith, SPARC Coordinator
Date: 26 September 2007
Venue:
Clare College
Latimer Room
Old Court
Trinity Lane
Cambridge CB2 1TL
Outline: Understanding the causes of cognitive changes in old age is critical for improving quality of life for older adults. Advances in neuroimaging provide an important methodology enabling us to relate cognitive changes to the neural changes that accompany normal ageing. The cognitive neuroscience of normal ageing is a field rapidly gaining momentum in the UK, and the aim of this workshop is to highlight the methodological innovations and important empirical contributions of UK researchers examining the link between neural and cognitive changes across the lifespan.
SPARC (Strategic Promotion of Ageing Research Capacity) is funded by EPSRC and BBSRC which was established in 2005 to extend the previous remit of the EQUAL Network. SPARC is designed specifically to provide a platform, publicity and policy representation for existing researchers and to encourage newcomers into ageing research. A key aspect of its activities is working in partnership with the users of research - older people and those organisations which represent the interests of older people and which provide older people and their carers with services, advice and other support. As well as organising workshops SPARC is providing 34 pump-priming awards to newcomers to ageing research in the fields of design, engineering and biology.
The Centre for Speech, Language and the Brain is part of the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Cambridge. Its interdisciplinary research covers a wide range of issues in the neurobiology of language, integrating the development of cognitive theory, behavioural experimental and neuroimaging studies on healthy people, together with similar research on brain-damaged patients.
The major cross-cutting themes of our research are:
- Neurobiology of spoken language in healthy and brain-damaged populations
- Neurocognitive accounts of conceptual knowledge
- The ageing brain and cognition
- Cognitive Models of language function
The Centre is directed by Professor Lorraine K Tyler, MRC R esearch Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Professorial Fellow of Clare College. Researchers at the CSLB come from various academic disciplines such as cognitive psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, cognitive science, and computer science.
The workshop will be of interest to a wide range of practitioners and policy makers, health and social care practitioners, industry, charitable and government bodies concerned with the needs of older people, as well as researchers and academics from engineering, biological, social science, medical and health care disciplines.
There is no charge for attendance just an enthusiasm and interest in extending the quality of life of older people through informed user-focused research and its application.
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