Studies related to older participants
Parkwood Institute (PI)
Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Imagining movement has shown promise for movement rehabilitation after stroke. Neurofeedback with functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) may improve the quality of imagery, thereby improving functional outcomes. The proposed study aims to determine whether fNIRS can be used as a neurofeedback tool in stroke survivors.
Both male and female
19+ years old
Healthy Volunteers &
volunteers with stroke history
Western Interdisciplinary Research Building (WIRB)
Through this study, we are aiming to understand the mental abilities of patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) while watching short movies. Previous research has shown that watching an engaging movie can lead to specific patterns of brain activity that can tell us about the mental abilities of the viewer. In this study, patients with AD, healthy older adults, and healthy young adults, will view short movies while undergoing functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) imaging. By investigating differences or similarities in brain activity related to movie-watching in these groups, we can learn about the mental abilities and experiences of patients with AD. Findings from this study may have important practical and ethical implications for the patients’ standard of care and quality of life.
Both male and female
65+ years old
Healthy Volunteers
Sensory processing in development and in autism
Online & Western Interdisciplinary Research Building (WIRB)
How we perceive the world greatly impacts how we interact with it. Sensory perception is known to change throughout development and to be different in children with developmental disorders such as autism. This study will explore the developmental trajectory of how we perceive the world, how the development of sensory processing differs in autism, and what the neural underpinnings of this typical and atypical development are.
Both male and female
Children 4+ years old
& adults
Please view study page for details
Advanced hearing tests with amplification
Elborn College (EC)
Hearing tests typically include measuring the softest sound that can be detected in a soundproof booth. While this test is a good first indicator of someone's hearing, additional hearing skills may be needed to understand in real-world environments (such as an echoey room). Advanced hearing tests include the measurement of hearing the speed of changes in sound, the pitch of sound, gaps in sound, matching of sound between ears, the locations of sound, and the ability to process information from the two ears. We will correlate hearing aid outcome measures with these advanced hearing tests and will attempt to assess whether hearing aid benefit differs among groups of participants who vary in their hearing abilities. The results may help to explain variability in hearing aid outcomes across participants who have the same hearing test results on the current clinical hearing tests.
Both male and female
18+ years old
Volunteers with and without
hearing loss
Western Interdisciplinary Research Building (WIRB)
The purpose of this study is to understand how the areas of the brain that control movement process certain kinds of music. In this study, you will be asked to listen to and rate some music clips, do some rhythm-related behavioral tasks, and walk along to music.
Both male and female
18 years old to 70 years old
Healthy Volunteers & Volunteers with Parkinson's disease
Assessing speech and sound perception using brain imaging
Western Interdisciplinary Research Building (WIRB)
Age-related hearing issues affect a significant proportion of Canadian adults above age 60. Some of these hearing issues include perceiving sounds at moderate intensities to be unpleasantly loud, finding sounds to be abnormally distracting, and, most importantly, experiencing difficulty understanding speech when there is background noise. We are interested in better understanding what causes these symptoms in order to motivate future treatments.
Both male and female
17 years old to 75 years old
Healthy Volunteers
Heading 2
test line
