Cognition, brain, and aging: Longitudinal analyses

The Cognition, Brain, and Aging (COBRA) project examines the relationship of the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) and other brain parameters (i.e., grey- and white matter volumes, white-matter microstructure, functional activation patterns during rest and task performance, perfusion) to cognitive performance and change in aging, with a chief focus on longitudinal trajectories of DA availability and how those map onto corresponding cognitive paths. The first wave of data collection took place in 2012-2014 and involved 181 healthy adults between 64 and 68 years of age.

Funding from the Swedish Research Council for Time 1 in COBRA was obtained from 2013-2017. Thus, the present project plan, which covers data collection and analyses for Time 2 (2018-2021) as well as documentation of research findings, constitutes a logical extension of our previous grant.