Memory As We Age
Category: Season 5
Dr. Nancy Dennis
Associate Professor. Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Nancy Dennis directs the Cognitive Aging and Neuroimaging Lab (CANLab) in the Psychology Department at Penn State University. Her work focuses on understanding how memory changes in aging and ways we can ameliorate memory decline in older adults. She uses brain imaging technology to identify neural markers of memory processes with an emphasis on understanding how to maintain memory performance across the lifespan.
By 2050, roughly 83.7 million individuals in the U.S. will be over the age of 65. Within this population, memory declines are at the forefront of age-related cognitive complaints. The negative impacts of memory failures in older adults can range from emotional distress and embarrassment to potentially life-threatening outcomes, especially when the memory error involves important health and safety information. Dr. Dennis will discuss both stability and decline in various types of memory in aging. She will also describe methods for improving memory across the lifespan.