About the project
Dementia severely impairs cognition, and presently, with no cure, making early diagnosis is crucial to mitigate symptoms and slow progression. This project will develop wearable neuroimaging tools to identify haemodynamic biomarkers associated with dementia onset, using naturalistic tasks.
Dementia is a syndrome with devastating effects on cognitive function and presently, with no cure. Therapeutic interventions to mitigate its symptoms are most effective when dementia is diagnosed early. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), a method that quantifies oxygenated haemoglobin, has shown clear evidence of alterations in network connectivity and brain oxygenation in patients with dementia and in early stages such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Recent research indicates that path integration, a navigation process that continuously updates our position, is emerging as a promising cognitive marker for MCI and Alzheimer's disease; however, technological limitations have prevented us from studying brain function in real-world scenarios. Our group has pioneered the use of wearable neuroimaging systems to investigate the brain in naturalistic environments.
The aim of this project is to quantitatively characterise brain function in navigation tasks and to deliver haemodynamic biomarkers of early dementia onset. Its main objectives are:
- development of naturalistic protocols that involve navigation and everyday tasks
- characterise brain networks and haemodynamic parameters using machine learning
The School of Electronics and Computer Science is committed to promoting equality, diversity inclusivity as demonstrated by our Athena SWAN award. We welcome all applicants regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or age, and will give full consideration to applicants seeking flexible working patterns and those who have taken a career break. The University has a generous maternity policy, onsite childcare facilities, and offers a range of benefits to help ensure employees’ well-being and work-life balance. The University of Southampton is committed to sustainability and has been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.
