Previous research has demonstrated that musicians have a higher level of motor skills and motor learning abilities than people without musical training. In addition, cognitive reserve has proven to...Show morePrevious research has demonstrated that musicians have a higher level of motor skills and motor learning abilities than people without musical training. In addition, cognitive reserve has proven to influence several cognitive functions and to prevent age-related cognitive decline. However, little research has been done in relation to the effect these variables have on procedural learning ability in an untrained motor task in older adults. This could contribute to explore which of these predictors, whose beneficial effects have been extensively studied in relation to several other variables, is more relevant for predicting procedural learning ability specifically, with implications in movement rehabilitation. In the current study, the level of musical training and cognitive reserve, controlling for age, was expected to predict procedural learning ability in a new complex motor task. Additionally, the level of musical training was hypothesized to be more predictive than cognitive reserve in the outcome procedural learning ability. To test these hypotheses, a within-subjects experimental design was used where N = 16 participants performed a computerized pursuit-rotor task and a serial reaction time task, in addition to answering various questionnaires that measured their level of musical training and cognitive reserve. Furthermore, a multiple linear regression model was conducted. The results indicate that the level of musical training and cognitive reserve, controlling for age, did not significantly predict procedural learning ability. Possible explanations for the current lack of significant findings may relate to the small sample size included in the study and its low heterogeneity, as well as to the design of the experiment in relation to the self-reported measures that were included, and the difficulty of the pursuit-rotor task. Thus, future research should replicate this study including more heterogeneous and larger samples, as well as by overcoming the mentioned limitations, and by following the proposed suggestions for further research. Finally, if musical training proves to be a relevant predictor of procedural learning ability, it could have implications for triage in movement rehabilitation in health settings and for healthy lifestyles recommended to the population.Show less
Studies using event-related potential (ERP) suggests that the hippocampus, a medial temporal lobe (MTL) structure, can distinguish new and old stimuli. However, it remains unclear whether age...Show moreStudies using event-related potential (ERP) suggests that the hippocampus, a medial temporal lobe (MTL) structure, can distinguish new and old stimuli. However, it remains unclear whether age deficits in MTL processes contribute to age deficits in novelty processing. The present study aimed to investigate this knowledge gap and to confirm previous findings reported by Schomaker et al. (2021) regarding the role of the MTL in novelty detection and later processing. Twenty-one patients with epilepsy with unilateral MTL resection and twenty-four matched healthy controls performed an adapted visual novelty oddball task, with two streams of stimuli presented left and right of a fixation cross, while their electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded. The participants had to respond to infrequent target stimuli while ignoring standard and novel stimuli. Novelty detection, indexed by the N2, was reduced by MTL resections, shown by a smaller N2 for patients compared to healthy controls. Novelty processing, indexed by the P3, was not reduced in patients, shown by a larger P3 for patients compared to healthy controls. However, this might be due to collapsing of data in the patient group, since resection side was outside the scope of this study. Target processing, indexed by the P3b, was unaffected by MTL resections: no differences were found between patients and healthy controls. These results suggest that MTL structures, including the hippocampus and the amygdala, play a role in novelty processing. In contrast, MTL structures do not play a role in target processing since this was unaffected by MTL resections.Show less
The aging of retranslations has been getting more attention in the last few decades. Yet not much research has been conducted that can easily be replicated. In this study, the method by Van Poucke ...Show moreThe aging of retranslations has been getting more attention in the last few decades. Yet not much research has been conducted that can easily be replicated. In this study, the method by Van Poucke (2017) is used to find out if the first translation of 1984 by George Orwell has aged. 1984 was chosen because of the relevance that it still has and because it can add to the limited research that has been done on retranslating science fiction. Two Dutch translations were analysed, namely the first translation by Kool (1950) and the second and most recent translation by Davids (1984). The first chapter of the two translations was analysed to find out if lexical and stylistic aging could be found. Furthermore, the translations were analysed on the aging of technological concepts. Van Poucke’s method was used, because it is the leading method that operationalizes the research of aging. The findings show that lexical aging could not be determined in the first translation. For stylistic aging, much more evidence was found. After conducting this research, it can be concluded some evidence has been found that the first translation of 1984 has indeed aged and the aging of the first translation could have been a reason for retranslating the novel.Show less
Japan is a rapidly aging society. In order to respond to these pressing matters the Japanese government cooperates with businesses and the bureaucracy; known as the iron triangle. Japan has a long...Show moreJapan is a rapidly aging society. In order to respond to these pressing matters the Japanese government cooperates with businesses and the bureaucracy; known as the iron triangle. Japan has a long tradition of pork barrel politics and iron triangle cooperation. However, the electoral reforms of 1994 aimed to reduce the power of the iron triangle. Since all actors have high stakes in the success of solutions for aging, it provides the perfect oppertunity to study the continued cooperation of the iron triangle. Through the case studies of innovation in healthcare technology and rural rejuvenation this thesis will show that the iron triangle is still firmly in place.Show less
