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

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · 2024 · $24,041

## 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 organization:** UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
- **Principal Investigator:** Natalie C Ebner
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $24,041
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-03-01 → 2027-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10937377

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10937377, Characterizing and Modulating Neurocognitive Processes of Learning to Trust and Distrust in Aging (Diversity Supplement) (3R01AG072658-02S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10937377. Licensed CC0.

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