University of Wisconsin–Madison

Tag: technology

Helpful or Harmful? New Study Looks at the Impact of Technology Use on Cognition

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Smartphones and technology are ubiquitous in nearly every aspect of our lives, but is technology helping or hurting us when it comes to memory and cognition? Dr. Jared Benge, neuropsychologist and associate professor from the University of Texas at Austin, joins the podcast to discuss his research into how technology and smartphone use impacts the brain, how digital technology can be used to help individuals with cognitive impairment and what his findings mean for the future.

Guest: Jared Benge, PhD, ABPP, clinical neuropsychologist, Comprehensive Memory Center, UT Health Austin, associate professor, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin

Smartphone Screenings: Assessing Memory and Cognition using a Mobile App

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What if you could test your cognition from the comfort of your own home using a smartphone? Drs. David Berron and Lindsay Clark have spent years researching cognitive neuroscience, culminating in a 2024 published study investigating the effectiveness of a smartphone app as a tool for detecting cognitive impairment outside of a clinic or research setting. Drs. Berron and Clark join Dementia Matters to discuss how the app and tests were developed, the benefits and drawbacks of this approach  and the implications of remote testing in the healthcare field.

Guests: David Berron, PhD, Clinical Cognitive Neuroscience research group leader, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), and Lindsay Clark, PhD, licensed neuropsychologist, clinical core co-lead, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), assistant professor, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Go with the (4D) Flow: Neuroimaging Technology Used to Study Overlap of Cerebrovascular Disease and Alzheimer’s

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A recent study from Alzheimer’s disease researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison used neuroimaging technology called 4D Flow MRI to study the relationship between blood vessel disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Published in December 2021, the study found that people with Alzheimer’s disease symptoms had stiffer blood vessels in their brains, which could lead to inflammation and a buildup of Alzheimer’s biomarkers like amyloid and tau proteins. Lead researcher Leonardo Rivera-Rivera joins the podcast to discuss his findings, the developments made with new 4D Flow MRI scans, and how these developments could impact future Alzheimer’s disease research and clinical practices.

Guest: Leonardo Rivera-Rivera, PhD, neuroimaging scientist, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center

Apps & Alzheimer’s: Supporting Informal Caregiving Through Mobile Technology

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Human factors engineering is the study and design of interactive systems, tools and technologies to best assist individuals in need. We are joined by Nicole Werner, PhD, an engineer working on a mobile technology to serve the lives of informal caregivers.

Guest: Nicole Werner, PhD, Harvey D. Spangler Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison