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ItemNo Preview AvailableBrain structure in subjective cognitive decline: A replication study(Wiley, 2021-12)Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder, which disproportionately affects women (Erol et al., 2015). Given that the current treatments for AD aim to prevent symptom progression, the primary objective of emerging research is to identify pre‐clinical biological markers. Investigating such biomarkers would be appropriate in those experiencing subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Individuals with SCD are thought to be the earliest along the cognitive continuum between healthy aging and AD, as their reported change in cognition is not yet measurable using standard neuropsychological assessment measures. Previous research has found differences to exist in brain function, but not structure between healthy controls and those with SCD (Parker et al., 2020). The current study represents a preliminary analysis of structural brain images in healthy women compared to women with SCD; no structural differences between groups were hypothesized. Method The 3T T1 anatomical magnetic resonance images (MRI) used in this analysis was a subset of participants obtained from the Women’s Healthy Ageing Project collected in 2012 (N = 170). This subset included 30 healthy women (mean age = 71.4; SD = 3.12) and 30 women with SCD (mean age = 70.5; SD = 2.23). Voxel‐based morphometry (VBM) analyses were conducted using FMRIB’s Software Library to examine cross sectional differences between healthy women and women with SCD. Result Whole brain VBM analyses did not reveal any significant differences in grey matter tissue density between healthy women and women with SCD at p < 0.05 level with threshold free cluster enhancement (corrected for multiple comparisons). Conclusion Although the current findings did not reveal differences in grey matter between healthy women and women with SCD, this result replicates our previous findings and other reports in the literature that structural differences may not be detectable between healthy individuals and those with SCD. Follow‐up work will include investigation of differences in functional connectivity between these two groups using resting‐state functional MRI with the total sample collected in 2012 (N = 170). Identifying changes in brain function prior to structural atrophy and measurable decline on neuropsychological measures would represent a major advance in AD biomarker research.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableThe Women’s Healthy Ageing Project: A pattern of cognitive decline after brain injury(Wiley, 2021-12)Abstract Background It is well recognised that damage sustained by traumatic brain injury (TBI) initiate injury mechanisms that continue to develop long after insult. Increasing evidence suggests TBI may lead to chronic cognitive decline and the development of dementia later in life. However, due to the low rate of TBI in the general community, there is a paucity of data on the impact of cognitive decline in community TBI. We examined longitudinal cognitive changes over a 12‐year period to determine if there was any relationship with community reported TBI. Method The Women’s Healthy Aging Project is an ongoing longitudinal cohort study of community‐dwelling Australian women. Assessments included an extensive range of measures, including neuropsychological testing of multiple cognitive domains and questions relating to head injury. In total, 110 women had complete neuropsychological testing at all three time points; from 2002, 2012 and 2014. Of these women, nine (aged 56‐65 in 2002) had a history of moderate to severe TBI. Composite cognitive scores were compared to 18 healthy controls randomly selected from the complete dataset individually matched for age, education, and APO4‐genotype. Analyses were conducted in five datasets drawn from the complete dataset and results were averaged. Result Median scores for executive function were similar for both the TBI group and healthy controls in 2002, lower in the TBI group by 2012 and this difference increased further in 2014. Median scores for verbal episodic memory were slightly lower in the TBI group than controls in 2002 and 2012, and this difference increased in 2014. Although this initial pilot study with small samples in mid‐aged healthy women did not show statistically significant results, the observed relationships were constant over the five datasets, warranting further exploration. Conclusion In our small pilot study, we observed greater rate of decline of both executive function and verbal episodic memory in women with a history of TBI. Findings warrant a need for larger studies to explore this relationship as it indicates that community‐based reported TBI may impact cognitive performance even in early ageing. Further work will continue to explore cognitive trajectories in women with a mean age 80 at next follow‐up.
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ItemPromoting clinical best practice in a user-centred design study of an upper limb rehabilitation robot(Taylor & Francis, 2021-01-01)Purpose: Despite their promise to increase therapy intensity in neurorehabilitation, robotic devices have not yet seen mainstream adoption. Whilst there are a number of contributing factors, it is obvious that the treating clinician should have a clear understanding of the objectives and limitations of robotic device use. This study sought to explore how devices can be developed to support a clinician in providing clinical best practice. Methods and Materials: A user-centred design study of a robotic device was conducted, involving build-then-use iterations, where successive iterations are built based on feedback from the use cycle. This work reports results of an analysis of qualitative and quantitative data describing the use of the robotic device in the clinical sessions, and from a focus group with the treating clinicians. Results and Conclusions: The data indicated that use of the device did not result in patient goal-setting and may have resulted in poor movement quality. Therapists expected a higher level of autonomy from the robotic device, and this may have contributed to the above problems. These problems can and should be addressed through modification of both the study design and device to provide more explicit instructions to promote clinical best practice. Implications for Rehabilitation: • Encouraging clinical best practice when using evaluating prototype devices within a clinical setting is important to ensure that best practice is maintained - and can be achieved through both study and device design • Support from device developers can significantly improve the confidence of therapists during the use of that device in rehabilitation, particularly with new or prototype devices • End effector-based robotic devices for rehabilitation show potential for a wide variety of patient presentations and capabilities.
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ItemAccounting for retest effects in cognitive testing with the Bayesian double exponential model via intensive measurement burst designs.(Frontiers Media SA, 2022)Monitoring early changes in cognitive performance is useful for studying cognitive aging as well as for detecting early markers of neurodegenerative diseases. Repeated evaluation of cognition via a measurement burst design can accomplish this goal. In such design participants complete brief evaluations of cognition, multiple times per day for several days, and ideally, repeat the process once or twice a year. However, long-term cognitive change in such repeated assessments can be masked by short-term within-person variability and retest learning (practice) effects. In this paper, we show how a Bayesian double exponential model can account for retest gains across measurement bursts, as well as warm-up effects within a burst, while quantifying change across bursts in peak performance. We also highlight how this approach allows for the inclusion of person-level predictors and draw intuitive inferences on cognitive change with Bayesian posterior probabilities. We use older adults' performance on cognitive tasks of processing speed and spatial working memory to demonstrate how individual differences in peak performance and change can be related to predictors of aging such as biological age and mild cognitive impairment status.
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ItemSense and sensibility: measuring and evaluating the impact and value of aesthetic experience in teaching and learning(British Educational Research Association, 2022)BERA Conference abstract Sense and sensibility: measuring and evaluating the impact and value of aesthetic experience in teaching and learning In its unholy trinity with climate change and political extremism, COVID19 continues to shape a period of unparalleled existential crisis, leaving Higher Education to navigate the challenging terrain between transformation and survival. Educators, rising to the challenge, are engaging motifs of humanism, sustainability and inclusivity to protect the learning experience, sometimes uncomfortably shoehorning them into the dominant neo-liberal imperative of measurable growth and scalability (Riemer, 2021; Spector, Shreve & Daniels, 2021). As educators seek deeper insight into how best to navigate this terrain, an increasing focus on the experiential dimension is notable (Lizzio, Wilson & Simons, 2002; Baeten, et. al., 2010). Starting from the fundamental question of if (or to what extent) this experience itself affects outcomes and graduate attributes, this paper presents the aesthetic (and associated emotional) experience of teaching and learning as a topic of significance. In doing so, it seeks to address the lack of attention to aesthetic experience in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL); more specifically, the paucity of literature contextualised for HE. Currently, any scholarship around aesthetic experience in teaching and learning is almost exclusively focused on K-12 and/or arts-based pedagogies and curricula (Hinchcliffe, 2011; Webster & Wolfe, 2013; Lewis, 2009, Thyssen, Doull & Olusoga, 2021). Beyond presenting the definitional and theoretical foundations of aesthetic experience, this paper maps the development of a methodological framework designed to measure the impact and value of this experience in teaching and learning. Metanalyses have identified upwards of 30 such measures (Schindler, et. al., 2017), however, this is the first categorised as a pedagogical measure. The participants in this study are academic teaching staff and students from a Faculty of Business and Economics at a large public university in Melbourne, Australia. Using a simple, four-quadrant matrix to determine which course ‘experience’ and student cohort to engage, it was concluded that mapping the experience of a single cohort of students within a single course would be the best means by which to evaluate the impact and value of aesthetic experience in teaching and learning (see Diagram 1). This paper describes the conditions determining the need for intervention, and the engagement with course facilitators or coordinators to support and stage the intervention. The preliminary review of the pre-intervention conditions considers three dimensions of the learning experience: 1. Teaching delivery: • What is the approach and/or mode of teaching? Is it a traditional lecture/tutorial format, workshop based or external WiL? Is it delivered as a located, online or hybrid course? 2. Learning environment: • What is the nature of the learning environment? In most respects this will be in alignment with the approaches/modes; is it a large lecture hall, a small tutorial setting, a clinic or studio or an external business? What roles do the Learning Management System or other virtual environments play? 3. Curriculum design and course content: • How thoughtfully has the curriculum been designed and content curated? Is it well-structured and paced? Is it manageable and does it ‘make sense’? What is its relation to other courses? Is there a large amount of reading material or does it incorporate multimedia-driven content? Does it provide active or authentic learning opportunities? The paper then describes how, in response to this review and these questions, certain aesthetic interventions or devices can be applied to address any unsatisfactory or disengaging experiences identified. Moreover, it considers how these extend beyond merely enhancing the transmission of knowledge, to how they develop experiences that enhance graduate outcomes and attributes. Finally, the paper explains how this impact and value might be measured and evaluated, describing the data collection and analysis by way of participant observation, interviews and a written response survey to determine what, if any, benefits the changed approaches and conditions elicit. The associated conference session will engage attendees in an activity that applies some of the experiential interventions and devices proposed and provide a ‘snapshot’ of the value of aesthetic experience to teaching and learning. The session will then conclude with a discussion about contingencies, alternatives and potential risks or hurdles.
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ItemSenses working overtime: locating aesthetics in Higher Education research in times of crisis, uncertainty and disruption(European Educational Research Association, 2022)During 2020-2021, the Higher Education landscape was reshaped by the paradoxical conditions of transformation and survival, with COVID-19 forging an unholy trinity with climate change and political extremism to shape an era of unparalleled existential crisis. Educational researchers have leapt to the challenge, engaging motifs of humanism, sustainability and inclusivity (and allied pedagogies) awkwardly shoe-horning them into the dominant neo-liberal imperative of measurable growth and scalability (Riemer, 2021; Spector, Shreve & Daniels, 2021). Drawing from the broader traditions of aesthetic philosophy, and honed with organisational and pedagogical aesthetic theories, this paper considers three, interconnected areas of educational research that can be enriched during these times of crisis: 1. The pedagogical perspective, or aesthetic pedagogy 2. The academic and the organisation, or organisational aesthetics 3. The learner experience of higher education, or aesthetic learning experience This paper provides both a theoretical framework and applicable strategies to each area to build a better appreciation of how aesthetics can be embedded in future educational research. In doing so it asks the following questions, contextualised for each research area: 1. What is the current gap in the research and supporting resources? 2. Why is it important? 3. What can we do about it? To the pedagogical perspective; this paper observes a paucity of research into the sensori-emotional experience of learning in higher education and practical advice for developing pedagogies that enrich these experiences. It is important to address this weakness in the research as it reinforces the primacy of cognitivist approaches to teaching. This section proposes ways of augmenting current teaching practice with approaches that can enhance the learning experience and associated outcomes. It demonstrates how these enhancements occur and what the improved outcomes mean for graduates and society. To the academic and the organisation, this paper proposes a deeper engagement with the aesthetic experience of the institutions of higher learning, by way of re-energising the post-COVID appreciation of the value of such institutions. Framing the work of OA theorist Antonio Strati to the context of HE organisations (predominantly the university) To the learner experience, the paper recognises the work that has been done that tends to be K-12-centric, taking relevant theory and practice while re-contextualsing for the undergraduate and graduate learner. This is an important action to ensure that there is not something in this literature that educational researchers are missing. From this point, we can discern if, or what strategies have potential for incorporating into curricula or learning spaces and interfaces. This can include a range of matters that affect diversity and inclusion policies (accessibility, sensory) and the located (learning space design) or virtual (LMS interface design) experience of learning. Finally, it presents the ecosystemic conditions in which all three areas co-exist and enable a normative state of engagement with aesthetics
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ItemSense and sensibility: How (and why) an understanding of aesthetics is integral to experiential learning( 2022-06-28)Conference presentation
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ItemDaily Cognitive Difficulties and Social Experiences Among Older Adults(Oxford University Press (OUP), 2021-12-17)Abstract Self-reported cognitive difficulties are common in older adults and may be an early indicator of future cognitive decline or dementia. In past retrospective reports, cognitive difficulties have been linked with differences in social engagement or social relationships among older adults. However, little is known about how self-reported cognitive difficulties in daily life, such as memory lapses, relate to older adults’ daily social experiences. This study examined how self-reported cognitive difficulties were related to older adults’ daily social interactions and loneliness. Data were drawn from 312 community-dwelling older adults (aged 70 to 90 years) who reported their social interactions and loneliness throughout the day (five times) as well as cognitive difficulties (e.g., memory lapses, problems with attention) at the end of each day for 14 days. Multilevel models revealed that participants reported fewer memory lapses on days when they reported more frequent interactions with family members (p=.041). Higher levels of disruptions to daily activities caused by cognitive difficulties, in turn, predicted higher levels of loneliness the next day (p=.006), but not changes in social interactions the next day. At the between-person level, more memory lapses in daily life were associated with less frequent social interactions with friends, but more frequent unpleasant social interactions and higher levels of loneliness on average. These results suggest that older adults’ self-reported cognitive difficulties were dynamically associated with their social interactions and loneliness at the daily level and played an important role in older adults’ social life and well-being.
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ItemVolunteering and Chronic Inflammation in Later Life: Is Sustained Volunteering Beneficial for Health?(Oxford University Press (OUP), 2021-12-17)Abstract Although research on the health benefits of volunteering has proliferated in recent decades, most studies have focused on whether or not a person volunteers or the monthly frequency of volunteering. This study examines whether sustained volunteering has health benefits above and beyond occasional or short-lived volunteering. To investigate the salubrious effects of volunteering, the present study considers sustained volunteering engagement in terms of both formal and informal volunteering. Using four waves of data from the Health and Retirement Study, we assess the influence of sustained volunteering on chronic inflammation, measured by C-reactive protein (CRP). Results reveal that sustained engagement in formal and informal volunteering is related to lower CRP concentration, but this association is partly mediated by adult health and socioeconomic factors. Although sustained volunteering is associated with lower levels of chronic inflammation, older adults who maintain their volunteering over time are a select category of adults, characterized by higher education and wealth and better health.
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ItemHow Is Daily Social Interaction Related to Loneliness in Older Adults? The Roles of Trait Loneliness and Personality.(Oxford University Press (OUP), 2021-12-17)Abstract Loneliness is prevalent among older adults and is associated with increased risks for morbidity and mortality. This study examined what types of social interactions could reduce loneliness for older adults and who would benefit the most from social interactions. We used data from 312 community-dwelling older adults (aged 70 to 90 years) who completed ecological momentary assessments (EMA) five times a day for 16 consecutive days using smartphones (n=20,507 reports), as part of the ongoing Einstein Aging Study (EAS). At each EMA, participants reported their social interactions in the past 3 to 4 hours and their current feelings of loneliness. Results from multilevel models revealed that older adults reported lower levels of loneliness on occasions when they had pleasant social interactions (p<.000) or interactions with family (p=.001) in the past few hours, compared with occasions when they had no social interaction. In contrast, they reported higher levels of loneliness if they had unpleasant social interactions in the past few hours (p=.004). These within-person (WP) effects of social interactions on momentary loneliness were significantly moderated by participants’ trait levels of loneliness and neuroticism; and were significantly stronger among those with higher (vs. lower) trait loneliness (ps <.001) or neuroticism (ps <.042). Other personality traits (Extraversion, Openness, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness) did not moderate any WP association. These results highlight the importance of having pleasant social interactions and frequent interactions with family for reducing older adults’ loneliness in daily life, especially for those higher in trait loneliness and neuroticism.