Characterizing and Modulating Neurocognitive Processes of Learning to Trust and Distrust in Aging (Diversity Supplement)

NIH RePORTER · NIH · R01 · $24,041 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

Project Summary (Supplement) The aim of this supplement under PA-23-189 is to bring Kylie Wright, who is from an underrepresented background (i.e., individual with disabilities, first generation of college, low socioeconomic status, female in neuroscience) in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical, social sciences and neuroscience in our institution and the U.S. to work on parent grant R01AG072658 (Characterizing and Modulating Neurocognitive Processes of Learning to Trust and Distrust in Aging). This project offers an excellent context for Kylie's research agenda and training development given her strong interests in the neurobiological and physiological changes that accompany cognitive and socioemotional aging; and towards her longer-term goal of becoming an independently funded researcher in decision neuroscience and aging/ADRD. The supplement will provide Kylie with the unique opportunity to (i) develop profound knowledge about the neurophysiological processes involved in decision making and trust in aging/ADRD; (ii) foster her skills in advanced statistical analysis of behavioral, physiological, and neuroimaging data; and (iii) refine her scientific communication skills (i.e., academic writing, oral presentation). Kylie will work closely with her mentoring team which includes experts in experimental aging and neuroimaging (Dr. Ebner), decision neuroscience (Drs. Lighthall and Wilson), statistical analysis of behavioral and neuroimaging data (Dr. Lin), and physiological data analysis on trust-related processes (Dr. Ten Brinke). A funded supplement will grant Kylie with protected research time to study the impact of interoceptive awareness (i.e., the ability to accurately read one's bodily signals) and social cue recognition (e.g., the ability to correctly identify others' facial emotions/infer others' intentions) on trust learning among healthy older adults and those at increased risk for developing ADRD. The proposed supplement research will directly contribute to each of the three aims in the parent grant: Toward Aim 1 (to identify cognitive mechanisms that drive deficits in trust learning in aging/ADRD) Kylie will capture differences in interoceptive awareness and social cue recognition capability and determine their effect on trust learning; toward Aim 2 (to identify altered neurocircuitry underlying age- associated trust learning deficits in aging/ADRD) Kylie will delineate associations of age/ADRD-related brain changes in regions implicated in trust learning (e.g., anterior insula) with differences in interoceptive awareness and social cue recognition; toward Aim 3 (to test malleability of neurocircuitry implicated in trust learning toward optimized trust learning in aging/ADRD) Kylie will test moderation effects of interoceptive awareness and social cue recognition on real-time fMRI neurofeedback training success.

Key facts

NIH application ID
10937377
Project number
3R01AG072658-02S2
Recipient
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Principal Investigator
Natalie C Ebner
Activity code
R01
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2024
Award amount
$24,041
Award type
3
Project period
2022-03-01 → 2027-04-30