Cognitive training to protect immune systems of older caregiversResearch project Explore Faculty & Research Publications Community initiatives Research projects Quick factsDirector/PI: Principal Investigator Kathi Heffner (School of Nursing); Co-Investigator Silvia Sörensen (Warner School of Education and Human Development)Collaborators: Kathi Heffner, Jan Moynihan, Silvia SörensenFunding: National Institute on Aging Overview This study tests the effectiveness and mechanisms of cognitive training for spousal caregivers of patients with dementia in protecting against chronic stress-induced aging of the immune system.This project is led by Dr. Kathi Heffner. Caregivers are offered a computer-based cognitive training program that targets multiple domains of fluid cognitive abilities, and is known to positively affect older adults’ emotional well-being and health-related quality of life. The study tests whether speed of processing training has significant effects on markers of older adults’ the autonomic nervous system, emotion regulation and general emotional well-being, and immune function. As co-investigator, Sörensen contributes her expertise in caregiver interventions and her experience with community outreach to this project.