Dr. Li’s research has been focused on using cognitive, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging approaches to investigate the underlying mechanisms of various cognitive ageing processes, especially the ones for episodic memory. Most of her lab’s recent work concentrated on examining the training effect for cognitive enhancement and brain plasticity in older adults. Her team have conducted several single-domain (cognitive training, Taichi exercise, psycho-social counselling, TMS, tDCS) and multi-domain (combing single domains together) intervention trials among healthy older adults to improve cognition. Findings showed that after training, the related brain functions were improved including the enhancement of regional activity and inter-region connectivity, as well as whole-brain complex reorganization. These plastic brain alterations were significantly correlated with training-related performance changes.
Based upon her expertise in normal ageing, Dr. Li has also conducted research on early detection and multi-model intervention for age-related cognitive impairment. She has collaborated with several researchers and launched the China Longitudinal Aging Study, which is a national-wide prospective study focusing on early detection and intervention for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Based on the work on standardized neuropsychological tests, neural soft signs, experiments for cognitive processes, and electrophysiological and neuroimaging testing, Dr. Li’s team proposed a pragmatic multi-step model that aimed for early detection of MCI and dementia for community-dwelling older adults. Currently, the lab is collecting follow-up data to test the model validity. Meanwhile, there are also ongoing multi-domain intervention trials that target on both risk and protective factors among at-risk individuals to prevent or delay the onset of dementia.|
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