Aging, cognition, and motor behavior: A lab-to-life approach to improving quality of life in later adulthood

An important challenge facing our health care system is to maintain and improve functional independence, and thus overall quality of life, in older adults. It is estimated that by 2030 nearly 20% of the US population will be over the age of 65, and that proportion will continue to rise over the coming decades. Advancing age comes with significant declines in cognitive and physical function that contribute to diminished functional independence. In the Aging, Cognition, and Action Lab we use computerized cognitive assessments, and a state-of-the-art robotic device for studying upper limb movement to identify age-related changes in the cognitive mechanisms underlying deficits in adaptive motor behavior. By leveraging our understanding of how these basic mechanisms change with aging, we can design carefully targeted interventions aimed at improving functional independence in older populations. In this TechTalk I will highlight some of our current and future work in this area.https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/techtalks/1043/thumbnail.jp