Sensory Processing in Aging and Neurodegenerative Disease

What is this Study about?

In this study, we aim to understand how the brain combined sights and sounds, and how the brain processes music. We will collect brain data during a series of tasks, and analyze the data to show how patterns of brain activity do and do not differ between older adults, younger adults, and those with dementia. The findings of the study will be presented in research articles and will be shared with the Alzheimer’s society as a news bulletin.

What Will Happen in This Study?

This study has three parts: recording brain activity using magnetoencephalography (MEG) during music listening and audio-visual tasks, recording the brain with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and vision, hearing, and cognitive tests. It will take approximately 3 hours to complete all three study components. We encourage you to break the study up over two visits to ImageTech, but it can be completed in a single visit if necessary.

To participate in this study, you will need to visit the SFU ImageTech facility located in Surrey Memorial Hospital at 13750 96 Avenue in Surrey.

Who is Eligible to Participate in this Study?

You are eligible to participate in this study if you are:

  • A healthy young adult aged 18-35, a healthy older adult aged 65 and up, or an older adult with mild/early-stage dementia as diagnosed by your doctor
  • Able to provide written, informed consent to participate
  • Have normal or corrected-to-normal hearing in both ears and vision in both eyes
  • You must have no history of cerebro-vascular injury or accident (such as a stroke)
  • For adults without dementia, you must have no known neurological conditions and must not be taking any neuroactive drugs

You will not be eligible to participate in the study if you:

  • Have metallic objects that cannot be removed for the MEG recording (such as permanent piercings and medical implants that are made from magnetic metals)
  • Are pregnant
  • Feel you cannot perform the audio-visual and/or music listening tasks

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