Older Adult Research
A major focus of our research team is to investigate cognitive and behavioural changes associated with ageing, and interventions to improve everyday cognition for older adults.
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Current intervention projects include the OPTIMiSE (Online Personalised Training in Memory Strategies for Everyday) program, and Dr Pike's work as the chair of the Cognitive Interventions Working Group for the Australian Dementia Network (ADNET). Marija is looking at long term effects of cognitive training. Shirly is examining older adults' awareness and preferences for cognitive interventions, as part of her Honours research.
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In terms of current projects characterising cognition in older adults, read more below about Lily's PhD study in Type I diabetes.
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One solution to some of the barriers for older adults to access cognitive interventions, is an online intervention. This enables older adults to take part in a cognitive intervention at a time and place that suits them. With this in mind, we developed OPTIMiSE: Online Personalised Training In Memory Strategies for Everyday. OPTIMiSE was developed by Associate Professor Kerryn Pike along with researchers from the University of Melbourne (Associate Professor Kathryn Ellis and Associate Professor Christina Bryant) and University of Tasmania (Dr Maree Farrow).
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We ran the pilot study of OPTIMiSE in 2020-2021 and found that many older adults were keen and able to take part in something like OPTIMiSE (it was feasible). We also found that the participants enjoyed the program and would recommend it to others (it was acceptable). Finally, OPTIMiSE worked – we saw improvements on memory strategy knowledge, use, satisfaction, and self-reported ability, personal memory goal achievement, and mood (click here to read more about our OPTIMISE results). People also reported changes in everyday strategy use, improvements in daily life, reduced concern about memory, increased confidence and self-efficacy, and sharing and shame busting with others.
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You can hear more about OPTIMiSE in the video of Associate Professor Kerryn Pike speaking as part of the National Ageing Research Institute, Royal Melbourne Hospital, and Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age Seminars in Ageing.
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Associate Professor Pike currently chairs the ADNET Working Group for Cognitive Interventions. Over the last few years, this group has developed a pilot implementation study to increase access to cognitive interventions for people with mild cognitive impairment attending memory clinics. We have engaged six memory clinics around Australia, and developed a clinician training tool to increase the knowledge, skill, and confidence of clinical neuropsychologists in offering cognitive interventions to older adults. 17 clinical neuropsychologists completed training in 2023 and we are currently supporting them during the first 6 months of implementation of cognitive interventions into their clinics. Watch the video to the right to hear more about the background to this in the ADNET webinar on Cognitive interventions for older adults: Evidence and a move towards implementation, featuring Associate Professor Pike, as well as another key member of the ADNET working party, Dr Loren Mowszowski (University of Sydney). You can also click here to read more about ADNET's working party for Cognitive interventions.
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Long Term Effects of Strategy Training in Older Adults
Marija is currently exploring the long term effects of strategy training in a cohort of older adults, as part of her Honours research. We have a group of older adults who previously took part in a project examining the effect of different strategies to remember people's names (click here to learn more). Marija is looking at data from 6 and 12 months after the training to determine whether there is any long lasting effect of strategy training. She will also explore predictors of those who benefit more from training.
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Knowledge and Preferences of Older Adults about Cognitive Interventions
Shirly is interested in what older adults know about keeping their brain healthy and cognitive interventions. She has completed an online survey with more than 300 older adults to ask about their knowledge of cognitive interventions, as well as their preferences regarding things such as format (group or individual), duration of intervention, and online versus in-person. She also interviewed participants to get more in-depth information about their awareness of interventions, and barriers and facilitators to participating in a cognitive intervention. Her work should help us design cognitive interventions that enable more people to take part in the future.
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Cognition in Older Adults with
Type I Diabetes
Lily's PhD project is taking an in-depth look at cognition and emotional status in older adults with Type I diabetes. Her PhD has several components. She is currently completing a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the risk of dementia for older adults with Type I diabetes. She is also evaluating people with Type I diabetes through the Royal Melbourne hospital, to look at characterising their cognition and emotional status. She hopes to determine if there are particular patterns of cognitive strenths and weaknesses. This may inform future cognitive intervention studies tailored to this group.