This project sits with the ACRC Academy , a dedicated centre for doctoral training based with the Advanced Care Research Centre. The programme is novel, structured, thematic, cohort-based, and of 48 months duration, with an initial taught year followed by three years of PhD research. Each PhD research project within the Academy has been devised by a supervisory team comprising academic staff from at least two of the three colleges within the University of Edinburgh.
Project
Older adults are vulnerable to mental health problems such as anxiety[1]. These issues may have been exacerbated by recent lockdowns[2], and they have been linked to multimorbidity[3]. Recent technological advances enable the recording of brain activity at home using convenient, un-obstructive, affordable devices[4]. This kind of devices can track changes in older people’s brain activity related to emotional responses[5]. We hypothesize this technology can be harness to enable the remote and personalised monitoring of anxiety in older people. This PhD provides an exciting opportunity to explore this topic and produce feasibility evidence to facilitate future remote interventions.
References
[1]Byers, A.L., et al."High occurrence of mood and anxiety disorders among older adults: The National Comorbidity Survey Replication." Arc. Gen.Psychiatry67.5 (2010): 489-496. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.35
[2]Wong, S.Y.S., et al."Impact of COVID-19 on loneliness, mental health, and health service utilisation: a prospective cohort study of older adults with multimorbidity in primary care." Br. J.Gen.Pract.70.700 (2020): e817-e824. doi:10.3399/bjgp20X713021
[3]Jones, S.M.W., et al."A psychometric examination of multimorbidity and mental health in older adults." AgingMent.Health20.3 (2016): 309-317.doi:10.1080/13607863.2015.1008988
[4]Sawangjai, P., et al."Consumer grade EEG measuring sensors as research tools: A review." IEEE Sens.J.20.8 (2019): 3996-4024.doi:10.1109/JSEN.2019.2962874
[5] Neale, C., et al."The aging urban brain: analyzing outdoor physical activity using the emotiv affectiv suite in older people." J.Urban Health94.6 (2017): 869-880. doi:10.1007/s11524-017-0191-9
Further Information:
Dr Escudero Rodriguez - javier.escudero@ed.ac.uk
Dr Lucy Stirland - l.stirland@ed.ac.uk
Azucena Guzman - Azucena.Guzman@ed.ac.uk
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity. Please see details here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
Closing Date:
Principal Supervisor:
Assistant Supervisor:
Eligibility:
Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering discipline, possibly supported by an MSc Degree. Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Funding:
A stipend of £16,748 (2022 rate) and fees are payable for home students. There is funding available for stipend and fees for international students as part of the highly competitive ACRC Global Scholarship.
