It is generally known that our behaviour alters with age. Substantial changes in behaviour and performance can be vividly observed and experienced. On the one hand there are increasing difficulties, such as in remembering names and in maintaining balance while climbing stairs. On the other hand a life-long experience provides confidence in making decisions and judgments. As much as these patterns are recognizable, the extent of the change and exactly how the ageing process will impact us individually remains surprisingly unpredictable.



This project focuses on the more subtle – millisecond-level – changes in behaviour that remain unnoticed and yet may help forecast the more dramatic decline associated with ageing. By leveraging the detailed and yet privacy-friendly long-term records of smartphone interactions across a group of participants from a wide age range, we shall address how the day-to-day interactions (such as in tapping speed) alter with age. Not just that but we shall also deploy novel neuroimaging methods to clarify which of the brain processes engaged in these daily actions alter with ageing. These efforts will immediately help to develop innovative techniques to monitor age-related changes in behaviour and performance in the background based on day-to-day use of the phone or tablet. These are exciting steps towards generating precise and personalised predictions on how our behaviour will alter with ageing. We appreciate your help in working on these innovations.



Interested in participating? Please see the participant information and register!



Want to know more about this study? Please email us at agestudy@fsw.leidenuniv.nl

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