Blog: The Brain Dialogues, filtered by tag: CogSCAN

ZARA PAGE z.page@student.unsw.edu.au & HEIDI DOUGLASS h.douglass@unsw.edu.au Australia is home to one of the most multicultural societies in the world. In fact, older adults from communities with diverse languages, cultural backgrounds and nationalities make up approximately 30% of the Australian population aged 65 years and above but are underrepresented in dementia research. Zara Page, Study Lead and PhD Candidate​​ There are numerous barriers faced by older adults from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in relation to accessing dementia diagnosis and care… Read More

Dr Nicole Kochan is the leader of CHeBA’s Neuropsychology Group and plays a key role in the development and progress of CHeBA’s largest longitudinal cohort study, the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study. Dr Kochan is assessing the validity and efficacy of computer-based neuropsychological tests to detect cognitive decline and potentially provide a more accessible, time efficient and cost-effective means of assessing cognitive function in older adults.   How did you first get into research? I am a trained Clinical Neuropsychologist and was working for several years at the Prince of Wales… Read More

Honours Student at CHeBA, Zara Page, keeps mentally fit through her study of differing languages. So far, she has mastered French along with some Italian and Spanish and hopes to move onto learning Mandarin. In keeping with her passion for languages, Zara is currently conducting research exploring the cultural fairness of cognitive assessments for culturally and linguistically diverse Australians.   How did you get into researching the ageing brain? When I enrolled in my degree, I knew that it was going to be a four-year program with the integrated honours. Ultimately, this was why I chose… Read More

Jessica Turner’s grandmother inspired her pursuit of research which initially explored fall prevention for older adults. She is now working with CHeBA’s CogSCAN project which aims to determine the efficacy of using computerised testing to assess cognitive health.   How did you get into researching the ageing brain? I studied Exercise Physiology at the University of New South Wales and first worked as an Exercise Physiologist in a retirement village and aged care facility, helping older adults who had a variety of health issues - including cognitive impairment. Following this chapter, I… Read More

CHeBA’s CogSCAN study aims to evaluate the efficacy of using computerised testing to determine cognitive health. Research Assistant at CHeBA, Matilda Rossie, hopes that through the study we can develop more easily and accessible cognitive testing to improve the diagnostic experience of dementia patients.   How did you get into researching the ageing brain? Doing a double degree for my undergraduate allowed me to study a range of fields like psychology, anatomy, sociology, and neuroscience. It was great experience but left me unsure about what I wanted to do or which field I wanted to go… Read More

The participants of CHeBA’s Sydney Centenarian Study have quite literally a century’s worth of knowledge and possibly the most diversified life experience of us all. Experiencing the impacts of World Wars, countless technological innovations and the unusual circumstances of a global pandemic. Their invaluable insights confirmed to Julia Riches that CHeBA was the place to be.   How did you get into researching the ageing brain? I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Queensland and started working as a Research Assistant there, coincidently, on CHeBA’s Social Cognition… Read More

As our understanding of brain health expands rapidly, more and more individuals are becoming extremely health conscious. This includes a surge in demand for access to cognitive health assessment. Dr Karen Croot and her fellow researchers on CHeBA’s CogSCAN project aim to address this demand and evaluate the efficacy of new methods of testing to diagnose cognitive disorders.   How did you first get into researching the ageing brain? My most inspiring lecturer when I was an undergraduate student was a neuropsychology professor, he talked about the work that he was doing to understand brain… Read More

Having worked with both extremes of the lifespan, childhood and old age, Min Yee highlights we are all not really that different. Although we age, human behaviours and interactions are very similar throughout our lifetimes. Deconstructing harmful terms such as ‘worried well’ and focusing on the importance of subjective cognitive complaints in predicting decline is what motivates her strong contributions to CHeBA’s CogSCAN Study.    How did you get into researching the ageing brain? I am originally from Singapore and studied a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Initially, I wanted to go into… Read More

Zara Page, a fourth-year Neuroscience Honours student, has spent the year working with Dr Nicole Kochan and Dr Karen Croot alongside CHeBA's CogSCAN and Sydney Memory and Ageing Study teams to explore the culture-fairness of computerised neuropsychological testing for culturally and linguistically diverse older Australians. Despite Australia’s multicultural society, older culturally and linguistically diverse Australians have been overlooked in dementia research. Traditionally, pencil-and-paper tests are considered as the ‘gold standard’ tool to diagnose and monitor dementia. However,… Read More