September

Maintaining Cognitive Brain Health Through the Ages

Renee Penalver, Assistant Professor of Psychology
September 6, 13, 20, 27

To open this year’s Thursday Forum series, Assistant Professor of Psychology Renee Penalver will introduce the study of aging and cognition and engage participants with interactive cognitive activities. Each week participants will learn about the exciting, ever-evolving field of cognitive psychology and why it is important for everyone to have a general understanding of it. Topics such as memory, attention, language, bilingualism, perception, reasoning and decision-making will be explored through research theories and real-world examples. Participants will learn about brain health, cognitive aging, how cognition changes across the lifespan and what current research tells us about best practices for maintaining and promoting cognitive health as we age. Each session will incorporate interactive memory, attention and language demonstrations as well as cognitive activities shown to promote brain health. The first week’s session will offer an introduction to the field of cognitive psychology and to aging statistics and processes. The second session will examine what is normal and what is not as we age, including topics like cognitive decline, memory loss, anxiety and depression among aging adults. Sessions three and four will discuss what researchers know about maintaining brain health and offer resources and best practices for maintaining cognition.