Baycrest

NEXT BREAKTHROUGHS BOOSTING OLDER ADULTS' ABILITY TO DRIVE SAFELY Driving is the main mode of trans- portation for many older adults. So when people lose their driving privileges, they can become socially isolated, depressed and lose their independence. Some people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may still be able to drive safely, accord- ing to guidelines for medical profes- sionals, but doctors currently have little to offer to help improve their driving performance. Dr. Gary Naglie, an RRI scientist and Baycrest's chief of medicine, is the principal investigator for a five-year, half million dollar study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, to test an innovative train- ing program aimed at improving the driving performance of older adults with MCI. This collaborative project builds on the strengths and previous successes of Baycrest scientists and clinicians from many disci- plines, integrating their expertise in cognitive and memory assessment, and the development and testing of new rehabilitation interventions for cognitive deficits. Dr. Naglie's co- investigators include RRI scientists Drs. Malcolm Binns, Sandra Black, Deirdre Dawson, Morris Freedman and Brian Levine and other national collaborators. Poor driving performance is associ- ated with a decline in sustained attention and speed of informa- tion processing. RRI scientists have shown that goal management training, which was developed at the RRI, can improve people's abil- ity to sustain attention. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a combined program of goal manage- ment training and speed processing training at improving cognitive func- tioning and driving performance on a driving simulator in 128 adults with MCI aged 65 and older. "We hope the results will show that we can prolong the time that older adults with mild cognitive impairment can continue to drive safely, as well as allow them more time to prepare for driving retirement," says Dr. Naglie. SUPPORT CONTINUES FOR TWO LEADING SCIENCE PROJECTS Dr. Cheryl Grady, Canada Research Chair in Neuro- cognitive Aging (Tier 1), received funding for a renewal of her seven-year term to continue her research in the application of brain imaging for the study of aging. Dr. Jennifer Ryan received funding for her second five-year term as Canada Research Chair in Cogni- tive Neuroscience of Memory (Tier 2). Dr. Ryan will continue her research using an innovative combina- tion of imaging techniques to study human memory, and will connect her theoretical work with translational research to help develop treatments for memory decline in older adults. "We're fortunate to have an environment at Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute that fosters excellence in scientific research and collaboration opportunities with such eminent scientists," says Dr. Randy McIntosh, vice-president of Research. Senior scientists Dr. Jennifer Ryan (left) and Dr. Cheryl Grady have had their research chairs renewed. 18 2011/12 Baycrest and Baycrest Foundation Annual Report

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