ARC Associate Professor Martin Lövdén has received program support from
the Swedish Research Council for Working Life and Welfare (FORTE) for the
project “Mapping and intervening with the behavioral factors influencing
cognitive aging”.
Cognitive impairments in old age come with large individual and societal costs.
It is therefore of great importance to understand the factors promoting
successful aging and to develop means for preserving cognitive functioning in
old age. Pharmaceutical approaches to prevention and treatment have been
disappointing. Promoting behavioral factors that protect against age-associated
cognitive impairment is a more promising route. Such factors may include
education, stimulating work conditions, intellectual and physical activities,
and participation in social interactions.
The main objectives of this research program are to chart the behavioral
factors influencing cognitive decline in aging and to develop interventions
that target these factors.