University of Tasmania, Australia

Normal ageing is associated with progressive decline in cognitive and motor functions, leading to dementia in 17% of Australians aged 65 years and older (Access Economics, 2009). Although it is commonly believed that keeping mentally active can slow or even prevent brain ageing, whether cognitive enhancement programs can moderate cognitive decline is unclear. This ARC Linkage project will evaluate the mental-exercise hypothesis via a longitudinal study of the effects of a 10-week multidimensional cognitive enhancement program in older adults. Of particular interest will be how cognitive training affects the structure and function of the ageing brain and the effect of genetic factors on response to the intervention. The scholarship holder will use event-related potentials (ERPs) to evaluate the effects of cognitive training on the recruitment of brain areas during performance of episodic memory and selective attention tasks. The psychophysiological evaluation will occur prior to and immediately following the cognitive training program and at 12 and 24 month follow-up testing sessions. A wait-list control group will also be tested. PhD candidates with a background in electroencephalography (EEG) are encouraged to apply.