Topic: Associations among locus coeruleus, motivation, and decision-making in aging

Speaker: Dr. Hsiang-Yu Chen (Department of Psychology, Brandeis University)

Time: 2023/12/29 (Fri) 15:00-17:00

Location: 503 Meeting room, Research and Teaching Building, SH Campus, Taipei Medical University

Abstract:

The locus coeruleus (LC) which produces catecholamines (norepinephrine and dopamine) is one of the earliest brain regions to accumulate abnormal tau protein in Alzheimer’s disease. Relevant to cognition, the LC is a critical driver of affect, motivation, decision-making, and memory. However, the question about the nature of how age-related decline in the catecholamine system may alter decision-making and memory is not well understood. In this talk, I will share my graduate studies, which conducted a multimodal approach including pupillometry assessment, magnetic resonance imaging, and modeling, to investigate the associations between age differences in LC-related function and reward-based decision-making. In addition, I will talk about my current research focusing on age differences in curiosity-driven decision-making and memory and its associations with LC structure and function.