CURRENT STUDIES

Mechanisms of Mindfulness for Cognition

This study looks at how mindfulness can impact memory, cognition, mood, and self-awareness in healthy older Veterans and in Veterans with early-stage Alzheimer’s Disease.

For this study, you would enroll in a 10-week class taught by a certified MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction) instructor on different techniques surrounding focused attention and breathing. The class will be structured in a group format, meeting on Microsoft Teams once a week. Prior to the class start date, participants will complete baseline testing. The testing consists of pencil and paper testing, questionnaires surrounding self-awareness, sleep, and mood, along with an EEG session to record brain activity while completely a variety of tasks on a computer. Optionally, we may ask for a research-grade MRI to examine brain structures. After the conclusion of the class, participants will be asked to come back for testing once again.

Traumatic Brain Injury Study

This study looks at how thinking and memory change with aging and due to head injuries and aging. Specifically, we are interested in looking at how people’s responses to surveys, questionnaires, and computer games change with age and due to head injuries.

For this study, you would complete a couple of short paper and pencil tasks and a computer memory task. Later, you would complete an EEG session, allowing us to measure your brain activity while you play games on a tablet. For some participants, we’d like to see how the structure of your brain has changed, so we would ask you to get a research-grade MRI brain to look at your brain structure. Optionally, we would ask you to get your blood drawn, which we would use to look for genetic markers of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as a lumbar puncture, to look for genetic markers of Alzheimer’s disease and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), which can occur after head injury.

We are currently looking for participants for this study (Veterans only)! Particularly, we are looking for Veterans without Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs).

Please email hkamaraj@bu.edu for more information.

Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease Using Event-Related Potentials

This is a research study that will evaluate a new approach (Event-Related Potentials [ERPs]) to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and Traumatic Brain Injury in patients who have memory difficulties. ERPs are essentially brain activity measured by an electroencephalogram (EEG) headset in response to a specific task. Our aim is to test a new and simpler way to diagnose and evaluate people with memory disorders. Participation in this study will last for about two hours in a single (one-day) session.

We are currently looking for participants for this study!  Participants with healthy cognition and those with cognitive impairment will be enrolled in this research.

Please email ajgonez@bu.edu for more information.