Neuropsychologist studies impact of lifestyle on healthy aging

Forgetful, confused, unable to remember where the keys are: these stereotypes of the elderly presume that as people get older their minds will fail and their cognitive abilities decline.

Katarina Lukatela, a clinical neuropsychologist who recently joined the faculty at the Greater Hartford Campus, is researching the cognitive abilities of healthy seniors to better understand the link between lifestyle and mental cognitive health as people age.

“This is such hopeful research,” Lukatela says. “People are living longer and having more active lives. Active seniors are interested in participating in this research.”

Seniors from the West Hartford Senior Center and the Elmwood Senior Center have volunteered to participate in the study. Lukatela and her graduate students conduct one-on-one interviews and comprehensive neuropsychological testing of both very active and less active seniors.

By obtaining measurements on memory, language, problem-solving, and other brain functions, and then coupling them with lifestyle habits, the research is unfolding a picture of cognitive health in aging. In return for their involvement, the participants receive a comprehensive evaluation of their cognitive abilities.

“Since the aging population is getting larger, there is a national focus on this kind of information,” Lukatela says. “People want to know what they can do — in terms of exercises or lifestyle choices, for example — that may help them age in a healthy way.