Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l'Éducation Psychologie et Sciences de l'Éducation

Research topics

Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience of Aging

In the research area “Cognitive and clinical neuroscience of aging” we investigate neuropsychological and physiological correlates of cognitive development in normal development as well as in clinical populations. In terms of cognitive domains studied, we target the same higher order cognitive control functions as in the research area “Experimental cognitive aging”.

Studies conducted in this research area mainly ask the following questions:

 

1. What are the neural correlates of lifespan development in intentional behavior? Here, we use electrophysiological and neuroimaging techniques (EEG, fMRI) to explore cortical circuitries associated with prospective memory und executive functions.

Selected publications:

  • Zöllig, J. , Martin, M., & Kliegel, M. (2010). Forming intentions successfully: Differential compensational mechanisms of adolescents and old adults. Cortex, 46, 575-589. doi : 10.1016/j.cortex.2009.09.010
  • Bisiacchi, P., Schiff, S., Ciccola, A., & Kliegel, M. (2009). The role of dual task and task switch in prospective memory: behavioural and neural correlates. Neuropsychologia, 47, 1362-1373. doi : j.neuropsychologia.2009.01.034
  • Eschen, A., Freeman, J., Dietrich, T., Martin, M., Ellis, J., Martin, E., & Kliegel, M.( 2007). Motor brain regions are involved in the encoding of delayed intentions: A fMRI study. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 64, 259-268.
    doi : 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2006.09.005

 

2. How does stress affect prospective memory performance in young and older adults? In a research program examining the psychoneuroendocrinology of stress effects on memory and cognitive control, we address these questions with a series of studies examining stress hormone levels and heart rate parameters.

Selected publications:

  • Scholz, U., LaMarca, R., Nater, U.M., Aberle, I., Ehlert, U., Hornung, R., Martin, M., & Kliegel, M. (2009). Go no-go performance under psychosocial stress: Beneficial effects of implementation intentions. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 91, 89-92. doi : 10.1016/j.nlm.2008.09.002
  • Nater, U.M., Moor, C., Okere, U., Stallkamp, R., Martin, M., Ehlert, U. & Kliegel, M. (2007). Performance on a declarative memory task is better in high than low cortisol responders to psychosocial stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 32, 758-763. doi : 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2007.05.006
  • Nater, U.M., Okere, U., Stallkamp, R., Moor, C., Ehlert, U. & Kliegel, M. (2006). Psychosocial stress enhances time-based prospective memory in healthy young men. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 86, 344-348.
    doi : 10.1016/j.nlm.2006.04.006

 

3. Besides studying healthy aging, we are also interested in the neuropsychology of developmental disorders (autism, ADHD) and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson and Alzheimer.

Selected publications:

  • Kliegel, M., Altgassen, M., Hering, A., & Rose, N. (in press). A process-model based approach to prospective memory impairment in Parkinon's disease. Neuropsychologia. doi : 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.01.024
  • Köhler, M., Kliegel, M. et al. for the AgeCoDe Study Group. (2011). Malperformance in verbal fluency and delayed recall as cognitive risk factors for impairment in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 31, 81-88. doi : 10.1159/000323315
  • Brandimonte, M.A., Filippello, P., Coluccia, E., Altgassen, M. & Kliegel, M. (2011). To do or not to do? Prospective memory versus response inhibition in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Memory, 19, 56-66.
    doi : 10.1080/09658211.2010.535657

 

Research in this area is supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).