Research

Marine Keime

There are currently 12 million people aged 65 or over in the UK, so there is a fundamental need to understand the ageing process and develop interventions supporting healthy ageing. Advanced age is associated with deterioration of cognitive-motor skills. This manifests as a slowing of movements and deficits in the selection of appropriate actions, which negatively impacts the daily life activities. These declines in cognitive-motor control occur in parallel to changes in the brain. For instance, the way different brain areas interact with each other is altered: some areas are newly engaged, while others become more disconnected. Here, I will employ state-of-the-art technology that allows participants to visualise and control their own brain activity, termed fMRI neurofeedback. I will combine it with an action selection task, which involves planning and selection of the appropriate movement and is particularly sensitive to age-related changes as it engages both cognitive and motor processes. While doing this task inside a MRI scanner, participants will attempt to enhance the interaction between different brain areas. I will then assess if there are improvements in a variety of tasks including a daily life activity questionnaire. This will allow me to identify which brain connections are important for cognitive-motor performance and the independent living in older age. I will also test whether participants can use strategies to enhance brain connections even in the absence of neurofeedback. I will use qualitative methods to identify behavioural strategies that can potentially be used at home.