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Researchers: Erin Mazerolle (St. Francis Xavier University), Jason Payne (St. Francis Xavier University), Alexis Hubbard (St. Francis Xavier University), Jodie Gawryluk (University of Victoria), Riley Grewcock (University of Victoria)

What is the Study About?
You are invited to participate in our study titled Aging exceptionally well: Identifying and characterizing “SuperAgers” in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging database. The purpose of this study is to identify SuperAgers within the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) database and evaluate the relationships between modifiable factors and SuperAger status. Our aim is to better understand how aspects of people’s lives have an impact on maintaining health as people age. This study is being conducted as a part of the requirements for an undergraduate degree in the Department of Psychology at St Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS. Your participation is voluntary. Consenting to participate does not waive any rights to legal recourse. This study is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

What Will I be Expected to do and How Much Time Will It Take?
You will be contacted via phone and asked a series of questions about yourself including things like age, gender, biological sex and level of education. The questionnaire will take roughly five minutes to complete. If you are eligible to participate, you will be asked to complete the memory test portion of the experiment. The whole test will take approximately fifteen minutes to complete. We thank you for your consideration and participation.

Will Anyone Know What I Said or Did?
The data will be entirely anonymous and presented in aggregate form only. Researchers will be collecting your name, email and phone number as a method to contact you to complete the experiment via phone. However, your name, email and phone number will not be retained with the data of the study. Your test will be recorded so that researchers can score your result. Once this is complete, you will be identifiable only as a score which will not be shared with you. The aggregate data will be presented at conferences and will be published in academic journal articles. It will also be available on the Open Science Framework for others completing research on this topic.

Where and How Will My Data Be Stored?
All data will be stored on a password protected computer in a password protected OneDrive file.

What Happens If I Change My Mind and Wish to Withdraw?
Participation is voluntary. You may withdraw at any time before the intake survey is submitted simply by closing your web browser. If you wish to withdraw at any point during the pre-screening or memory test, simply let the researcher know and your data will be removed completely. If you wish to decline answering a question on the survey, please let the researcher know. After the data has been collected you will not be able to withdraw your score.

What are the Potential Benefits and Risks Associated with Participation in the Study?
There are no direct benefits to the individuals participating in the study, beyond receiving credit points if eligible. There are potential benefits to society as a result of this research. We will make the data freely available for other researchers who may wish to use a young normative sample to understand the cognitive data in the CLSA database. In order to do this, the anonymous data will be made available on an Open Science Framework webpage. Using such data repositories are a common way to make such data available to researchers. More broadly, identifying modifiable risk factors associated with healthy aging and an attenuation of age-related cognitive decline would benefit all people. Identifying the prevalence of SuperAgers in the Canadian population can also help in informing public policy, especially if any differences are observed between Canadian and other SuperAger samples. We cannot share your scores on the tests with you, because the scores are only meaningful in the context of the research project. They cannot be used to understand your individual cognitive abilities. If you have concerns about your memory or thinking, please see your healthcare provider. There are no identified risks associated with participation in the study. However, there may be costs that we do not know about yet.

Where Do I Get Questions Answered?
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this study, please direct them to Alexis Hubbard (x2022biy@stfx.ca), Erin Mazerolle (emazerol@stfx.ca) or Jason Payne (jpayne@stfx.ca). If you have any concerns about research ethics, please contact the Chair of the St. Francis Xavier University Research Ethics Board, clomore@stfx.ca.

Follow this link to sign up to participate.

IALH Research Fellow Dr. Theone Paterson and PhD Student Affiliate Cian Dabrowski, are conducting an online and in-person study to determine the impacts of stress experienced across the lifespan on cognition, aging, and brain health. The aim of this study is to investigate whether stress influences physical, psychological, and cognitive health outcomes in older adults.

Individuals who are 65 or older and live in the greater Victoria area are eligible. Participants will be asked to complete an online confidential survey (~30 minutes) and an in-person cognitive assessment and fNIRS monitoring session (~1.5 hours). Participants will also receive a gift card for their involvement.

To participate, email COAST study@uvic.ca.

Are you 52 years of age or older, living in Canada or Mexico? We invite you to share your valuable experiences for a research project focused on planetary health and climate justice. The study involves a 1-hour interview (in-person or online) sharing your experiences, reflections, and stories about: eco-socialjustice or peace-building work, artistic or cultural practices, intergenerational or community knowledge. A small honorarium will be provided to thank you foryourtime and knowledge. For participants who may require support with accommodations appropriate financial assistance will be arranged. Open to English and Spanish speakers.

To participate, contact PhD candidate Matilde Cervantes: mcervantes@uvic.ca.

We are interested in hearing about women's experiences during menopause in an online focus group! If you are between 55 and 65, experienced natural menopause, have no major health conditions, and are interested in participating in a conversation with other women about your menopause experience, you may be eligible.

Upcoming Focus Group Dates: February 5th, 10:30am-12:30pm (via Zoom).

Contact Heather Kwan, PhD Candidate, hkwan@uvic.ca or Dr. Jodie Gawryluk, gawryluk@uvic.ca, for questions orto sign-up.

Study purpose: To examine if a cognitive training intervention can improve outcomes
following chronic moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. Specifically, how does it affect
performance on neuropsychological assessments and biomarkers of oxidative stress,
inflammation, and aging.

What is involved?

• Research intake: We will go over your history of brain injury and record demographic variables.
• Baseline assessment: Blood and saliva collection (at UVic) + neuropsychological assessment (online from home).
• Assignment to study group: Intervention or control group.
• Note: the control group will have the opportunity to participate in the intervention following completion of the study.
• 5-weeks of NeuroTracker cognitive training (or activities as usual for control group)
  • 2 sessions per week (20-30 minutes each session)
  • Done online at-home
• Follow-up: Blood and saliva collection (at UVic) + neuropsychological assessment (online from home)
• 1-month follow-up: Blood and saliva collection (at UVic) + neuropsychological assessment (online from home)
• Done!

Brain Injury Study Criteria (PDF)

If you are interested in learning more, please contact brainlab@uvic.ca with the Subject line: Brain Injury Study

Morgan Schaeffer is a PhD candidate in the Clinical Neuropsychology program at the University of Victoria, and an IALH Student Affiliate. He is interested in the interplay between neurocognition, psychosocial functioning, and chronic illness. Morgan is working with supervisor, Dr. Theone Paterson, IALH Research Fellow and faculty member in the Department of Psychology at the University of Victoria, on a study entitled The Effects of Cannabis Use on Quality of Life and Health Outcomes in Chronic Pain.

Project Title: 
The Effects of Cannabis Use on Quality of Life and Health Outcomes in Chronic Pain

Investigators: 
Morgan Schaeffer, Dr. Theone Paterson

Background:
Chronic pain is associated with adverse physical, emotional, and cognitive outcomes, and reduced quality of life. Medical cannabis shows promise as a potential treatment option for pain and associated social and emotional difficulties.

Purpose: 
This study aims to better understand the impacts of chronic pain and cannabis use on quality of life and health outcomes in aging Canadians. We invite individuals who live with chronic pain and either A) use cannabis products at least once per week OR B) have not used cannabis in the past 10 years to participate.

Eligibility:
To be eligible, participants must:

• Reside in Canada
• Be at least 45 years old
• Experience chronic pain (constant or intermittent pain >3months)
• Have access to computer or full-size tablet device
• Either:
  • a) Use any cannabis product regularly (at least once a week) OR
  • b) Have not used cannabis products in the past 10 years

Participation Details:
Participants will complete a brief phone screening to determine eligibility and then be asked to complete 1) a set of confidential online surveys (~45 minutes); and 2) an online cognitive assessment (~30minutes). Participants will receive a $20 e-gift card for their time.

Risks and Confidentiality:
You may experience some mild fatigue when completing the questionnaires and tasks. All information is anonymized and securely stored.

Contact:
To participate, email pain_cannabis_study@uvic.ca.

Website: https://brainlab.uvic.ca/cannabis-use-and-chronic-pain-study-information/.

Caregivers are often overlooked as care team members, and while individuals with dementia are living at home they bear significant responsibility. As a result, negative physical and mental health outcomes can occur, creating a barrier to efficient implementation and the use of smart technology in the home to support caregiving. Masters Student and IALH Student Affiliate Evangeline Wagner is seeking participants for a study entitled Understanding the Needs of Caregivers Involved in At-Home Care Using SmartHome Systems for Patients with Dementia.

To be eligible, participants must:
• a non-medical caregiver of an individual with dementia who is living at home
• over the age of 19 and
• able to read, write and speak in English

What is involved?

Participants will be asked to complete some questionnaires and participate in an interview. The tasks will take about 30 minutes to complete.

For more information or to participate, please contact Evangeline Wagner at evangelinemwagner@uvic.ca or her supervisor Elizabeth Borycki at emb@uvic.ca. 

CanAssist at the University of Victoria is dedicated to helping people with disabilities improve their quality of life, with a focus on promoting independence and inclusion. CanAssist often requires people to test new technology prototypes and provide feedback on their effectiveness. This testing is done on a voluntary basis and there is no cost. In most cases, families testing a technology can continue to use the solution for as long as it continues to be useful.

For technology testing opportunities, please complete the Assistive Technology Project Request Form.

Are you interested in participating in health research in BC, but don’t know how to get involved? REACH BC connects volunteer participants with researchers in the province who are conducting clinical trials or other studies focused on health-related issues. Through the confidential and secure REACH BC platform, interested individuals are asked to provide information about themselves, their research interests, any health conditions they may have, and their contact information. Once registered, they will be sent information about potential research opportunities. Volunteers can then connect with research teams to ask any questions they may have about a research study and to let researchers know if they’re interested in participating. For more information on health research studies currently underway in BC, go to https://www.reachbc.ca/studies. For more information on becoming a volunteer for health research in BC through REACH BC, go to https://www.reachbc.ca/volunteers