Abstract:

This project is a breakthrough from the traditional cognitive intervention in which older adults are the target of help, whereas the volunteering as an intervention approach treats older adults as the subjective for help. The project aims to advance understanding of the potential benefits of volunteering on older adults’ cognitive function and the underlying mechanisms. From the perspective of hot/cold dual-system: first, a large set of older volunteers will be sampled to calculate the “heat” of different volunteering types and to reveal the association between volunteering and cognitive function; second, a randomized controlled trial will be conducted to examine the effects of “hot” and “cold” volunteering on older adults’ cognitive function and the underlying neural basis, to reveal the causal relationship between volunteering and cognitive function, and to construct a dual-system neuropsychological model; third, we will explore individual differences of intervention effects and construct predictive models with machine learning classification and regression algorithms. Then, we will select volunteering type for individual and predict gains, in order to achieve personalized intervention. This project is centered on the mechanisms underlying volunteering-driven increases in older adults’ cognitive function. Through this work, researchers can determine how a real-setting activity like volunteering can best be used to protect age-related cognitive decline, increase older adults’ subjective initiative and the sustainability of intervention, contributing to the national strategic needs for active aging.

First, the study will examine the relationship between volunteering and cognitive function in older volunteers. A large sample of older volunteers will be surveyed to calculate the “hotness” of different types of volunteering around three dimensions: cognitive, social, and physical activities (categorizing two different types of volunteering: “cold volunteering” and “hot volunteering”) and the “involvement” of different volunteering, including both the direction and quantity, and reveal the association between volunteering and cognitive function. Second, the study will explore the neuropsychological mechanism of volunteering to improve cognitive function in older adults through a randomized controlled trial, investigating the effects of different volunteering services on cognitive function and their underlying neurological bases. In addition, a dual-system neuropsychological model will be constructed to elucidate the causal relationship between volunteering and cognitive function. Finally, the study will explore individual differences in intervention effects and construct predictive models through machine learning algorithms to achieve personalized interventions.

Key words: older adults, volunteering, cognitive intervention, hot-cold dual system, brain modularity