Decision-making refers to the ability to consider multiple competing alternatives and make a choice, and successful decision-making is critical for maintaining independence and well-being in society. Elderly adults are constantly faced with important decisions, as in financial and health-care matters, and recent work suggests decision-making abilities become significantly impaired with age. Age-related pathological changes in the brain are well documented, suggesting the suboptimal functioning of neural systems may be essential to impaired decision-making in elderly adults. Decision-making can be viewed as the complex interaction of two relatively distinct neural systems: a deliberative cognitive processing system involving executive functions and memory, and an affective system involving personality traits and decision styles. While neuroimaging has yielded some advances in our knowledge of the brain structures and functions involved in these systems in younger populations, relatively little is known about the neuroimaging correlates of pathological changes associated with these systems in elderly adults or how they contribute to impaired decision-making. The overall goal of the proposed Beeson Career Development Award (K23) is to identify the structural and functional neuroimaging correlates of impaired financial and health-care decision-making in non-demented older adults. This will be achieved through the completion of a focused research project which will integrate multi-level neuroimaging methods sensitive to brain structure, function, and connectivity with recent approaches to the study of decision-making; and a comprehensive training program in neuroimaging, decisionmaking, bioethics, geriatrics, neuroepidemiology, biostatistics, and leadership skill development in a highly supportive multi-disciplinary environment. Knowledge of the neural correlates of impaired decision-making behaviors in elderly adults can facilitate targeted pharmacological and behavioral interventions aimed at delaying age-related decline. Many negative financial and health outcomes may therefore be minimized through such knowledge, reducing the emotional toil and economic burden to affected patients, family members, and society.

Public Health Relevance

The overall goal of the proposed Beeson Career Development Award (K23) is to identify the structural and functional neuroimaging correlates of impaired financial and health-care decision-making in non-demented older adults. Knowledge of the neural correlates of impaired decision-making behaviors in elderly adults can facilitate targeted pharmacological and behavioral interventions aimed at delaying age-related decline. Many negative financial and health outcomes may therefore be minimized through such knowledge, reducing the emotional toil and economic burden to affected patients, family members, and society.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
Project #
7K23AG040625-05
Application #
9056601
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAG1)
Program Officer
Nielsen, Lisbeth
Project Start
2012-08-15
Project End
2017-04-30
Budget Start
2016-05-01
Budget End
2017-04-30
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2016
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Southern California
Department
Family Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
072933393
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90032
Hanko, Veronika; Apple, Alexandra C; Alpert, Kathryn I et al. (2018) In vivo hippocampal subfield shape related to TDP-43, amyloid beta, and tau pathologies. Neurobiol Aging 74:171-181
Nguyen, Annie L; McNeil, Candice J; Han, S Duke et al. (2018) Risk and protective factors for health-related quality of life among persons aging with HIV. AIDS Care 30:518-522
Yu, Lei; Wilson, Robert S; Han, S Duke et al. (2018) Decline in Literacy and Incident AD Dementia Among Community-Dwelling Older Persons. J Aging Health 30:1389-1405
Han, S Duke; Adeyemi, Oluwatoyin; Wilson, Robert S et al. (2017) Loneliness in Older Black Adults with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Is Associated with Poorer Cognition. Gerontology 63:253-262
Duke Han, S; Nguyen, Caroline P; Stricker, Nikki H et al. (2017) Detectable Neuropsychological Differences in Early Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease: A Meta-Analysis. Neuropsychol Rev 27:305-325
Han, S Duke; Boyle, Patricia A; James, Bryan D et al. (2016) Mild Cognitive Impairment and Susceptibility to Scams in Old Age. J Alzheimers Dis 49:845-51
Duke Han, S; Boyle, Patricia A; Yu, Lei et al. (2016) Grey matter correlates of susceptibility to scams in community-dwelling older adults. Brain Imaging Behav 10:524-32
Han, S Duke; Boyle, Patricia A; James, Bryan D et al. (2016) Discrepancies between cognition and decision making in older adults. Aging Clin Exp Res 28:99-108
Han, S Duke; Boyle, Patricia A; Arfanakis, Konstantinos et al. (2016) Financial literacy is associated with white matter integrity in old age. Neuroimage 130:223-229
Nation, Daniel A; Edmonds, Emily C; Bangen, Katherine J et al. (2015) Pulse pressure in relation to tau-mediated neurodegeneration, cerebral amyloidosis, and progression to dementia in very old adults. JAMA Neurol 72:546-53

Showing the most recent 10 out of 19 publications