Research Symposium

BIO

Hi! My name is Dinuki Wickramanayake, and I am from Spanish Fort, Alabama. I am currently a second-year student majoring in Public Health on the pre-Physician Assistant track. I work as a medical assistant at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, and I am passionate about researching Alzheimer's disease and health disparities within underserved populations.

The Role of Information Communication Technologies in Mitigating Age-Related Cognitive Decline

Abstract

With the increasing use of technology, it is important to identify how information and communication technology (ICT) can help mitigate cognitive decline with age. Experimental studies are essential for evaluating the impact of different types of ICT on cognition. ICT use can potentially help older adults learn new skills, maintain relationships, access information, and ultimately enrich their quality of life. Using the Covidence platform, we began a metanalysis by screening 3,516 scholarly interventional studies based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Following the initial screening, we proceeded to the full-text review and data extraction stages. To ensure the reliability of our findings, two reviewers independently assessed the studies, with a third reviewer resolving any conflicts. We hypothesize that the use of ICT in experimental studies may not yield significant differences in cognition. The mechanisms by which ICT influences cognition remain unclear, but future studies analyzing longitudinal data could determine if ICT use has a lasting effect on cognitive function. If our analysis reveals a positive relationship between ICT use and cognition, it could suggest a promising role for technology in preventing cognitive decline and dementia in older adults.

Keywords: Cognition, Technology, Dementia