BrainConnects 2014

Aug 1, 2014 — Aug 2, 2014

BrainConnects emerged initially from collaborations between the NeuroImaging and Informatics Lab at National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology (NCGG), Ohbu, Japan and the Clinical Brain Lab at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. The most recent project funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and NTU extended collaborations to the Cognitive Engineering Lab at the Singapore Institute for Neurotechonology (SINAPSE) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and neuroscientists from Nagoya University.

This collaborative research proposes to investigate functional and structural neural networks that are sensitive to age-related changes to address the issues in global aging from a cognitive neuroscience perspective. The research aims to provide direction in targeting the relevant networks as plausible neuroimaging markers for cognitive training and hopefully prevent or modulate normal cognitive decline. We have started to establish a sensitive protocol to measure cognitive changes of clinical significance in aging in Japan and Singapore. This collaboration will continue to develop and implement a standard neuroimaging protocol applicable to both Singapore and Japan, as well as conduct possible cross-cultural aging studies.

We were honored to have Professor Nitish Thakor, Director of SINAPSE and Provost Professor of NUS, to provide us an opening address. The program while mainly focused on neuroimaging of healthy aging and neurodegenerative disorders also included interesting topics in pain, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), moral reasoning and trustworthiness.

Singapore