Social-Behavioral Science Research
Sponsors:
Center for Aging, UAB Sponsoring Schools, and NIH
Purpose and Description:
The Social-Behavioral Science Research Program of the Center for Aging is an interdisciplinary
program with multiple research teams working collaboratively in different focus
areas described below.
Mobility-Karlene Ball, Ph.D., (Psychology) and Cynthia Owsley, Ph.D., (Ophthalmology)
have worked together for over 20 years studying visual, cognitive, and medical risk
factors for vehicle crashes in older adults. Along with Virginia Wadley, Ph.D. (Geriatric
Medicine), their continued collaboration focuses on:
- developing and evaluating driver screening measures for unsafe driving, and
- developing and evaluating interventions which extend the safe mobility and independence
of older adults
Over, the past thirteen years, Richard Allman, M.D., (Geriatric Medicine) and David
Roth, Ph.D., (Biostatistics) have collaborated with Ball and Owsley in studying
the mobility of older adults. This research is aimed at understanding mobility changes
associated with aging, factors predisposing older adults to mobility limitation,
and the impact of mobility limitation on subsequent health outcomes.
In addition, Patricia Sawyer, Ph.D., (Geriatric Medicine) has developed a research
agenda related to the social consequences of mobility problems and collaborates
with Allman and Roth.
Julie Locher, Ph.D., (Geriatric Medicine) studies the health consequences of nutritional
deficits for mobility-restricted, homebound older adults.
Ball and Richard Sims, M.D., (Geriatric Medicine) have collaborated on studies of
the association between falls and crash risk.
George Howard, Dr. P.H., (Biostatistics) and Wadley study the reasons for geographic
variation in stroke incidence, yet another important cause of mobility loss in older
adults.
Incontinence-Kathryn Burgio, Ph.D., (Geriatric Medicine), Patricia Goode, M.D.,
(Geriatric Medicine), Locher and Roth collaborate on issues related to genitourinary
disorders and incontinence in older adults. Their work examines a variety of treatment
techniques for stress incontinence in women and post-prostatectomy incontinence
in men. Various techniques for controlling incontinence are being studied including
pelvic muscle training and the use of biofeedback.
Caregiving Issues-Dan Marson, J.D., (Neurology) and Wadley have collaborated on
projects related to Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and issues of caregiving. These projects
have focused on interventions to assist caregivers in patient management as well
as improving caregiver well-being. Roth and Wadley are testing stress-diathesis
models of coping in the context of caregiving for stroke survivors, and the research
of Barbara Habermann, Ph.D., (Nursing) is evaluating a psychoeducational intervention
in two caregiver populations: Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
Functional Performance in MCI and Dementia-Marson and Wadley have collaborated on
studies of financial capacity in dementia. Wadley has focused her research on the
reliability and validity of self and informant report in these studies. More recently,
Marson, Wadley, and Ball have developed mutual interests in studying functional
changes that occur in mild cognitive impairment, with Marson continuing to focus
on financial capacity, and Wadley and Ball focusing on a broad spectrum of functional
abilities including driving.
Cognitive Training Programs-Ball, Owsley, Roth, and Wadley continue to collaborate
on the ACTIVE clinical trial evaluating the impact cognitive training programs on
older adults' cognitive abilities and everyday functioning.
Opportunities for faculty involvement: Faculty, postdoctoral, and
predoctoral students are encouraged to participate in SBS Research in Aging through
collaborations with established investigators in the program.
Primary Contact:
Karlene Ball, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Center for Aging
HMB 101, zip 2100
(tel) (205) 934-2610
(fax) (205) 975-2295