BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Center for Applied Gerontology has won a five-year, $2 million grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to continue its research into the prevention of physical and cognitive declines among older adults.
The UAB Center for Applied Gerontology is among nine Edward R. Roybal Centers for Research on Applied Gerontology to receive the grant renewals. Researchers at Roybal Centers engage in social and behavioral research focused on helping older adults maintain mobility and physical function, sharpen cognitive abilities, improve driving performance and enhance financial and medical decision-making skills.
“This grant provides infrastructure for our center and enables us to fund $100,000 in pilot grants each year for faculty interested in aging and its impact on mobility and everyday function,” says UAB psychologist Karlene Ball, Ph.D., director of the center and chair of the UAB Department of Psychology. “We are one of the few Roybal Centers to have been continuously funded since their inception in 1993.”
Many adults experience difficulty with mobility as they age due to the deterioration of physical, sensory and cognitive function, said Ball. This can affect an individual’s ability to walk, climb stairs or drive a car, which can result in a loss of independence.
At the UAB Center for Applied Gerontology, housed in the UAB Department of Psychology, Ball and other researchers are conducting several ongoing studies, including Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE), a multi-site clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of cognitive, speed-of-processing, memory and reasoning interventions in preventing the loss of independence.
In another study, UAB researchers are examining the effectiveness of visual attention training programs on specific driving maneuvers among older adults using an interactive driving simulator. Researchers also evaluate driving through the UAB Driving Assessment Clinic using an instrumented vehicle.
Other research studies in the center include an examination of glaucoma and driver safety and a study evaluating the effectiveness of a test, Useful Field of View®, which measures visual attention and identifies older adults at risk for traffic accidents. The study has been credited for changing the way motor vehicle departments in several states assess older drivers.
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