Eligibility:
To be eligible to participate in our studies, you must:
- be 18-30 or 60-85 years of age
- be a native English speaker (having learned English by age 6)
- have at least a high school diploma or equivalent (GED)
- not have had any neurological disorders or diseases (e.g., stroke, head injury, epilepsy, seizures, brain tumors, brain surgery, Parkinson’s Disease)
- not have had diagnosis or suspicion of dyslexia or a learning disability
Duke students and nearby residents aged 18-30 who are interested in participating are encouraged to make an account and check the list of eligibility requirements on the Duke Sona website, or email cabezalab@duke.edu for more study-specific eligibility requirements.
Adults aged 60-85 who are interested in participating in one of our studies are asked to email cabezalab@duke.edu or call the lab at (919) 668-2299.
Behavioral Studies
Behavioral studies usually consist of 1-2 hours of time in our lab in which individuals are presented with words or pictures on the computer screen and are asked to respond to the items by pressing buttons on the keyboard.
Compensation for behavioral studies is $10/hour. Participants age 60-85 receive additional compensation for travel time to/from our lab. Free visitor parking is available to all participants with 24-hour notice.
fMRI Studies
Most fMRI studies last 3-4 hours total (1-2 hours in the scanner itself) and involve the same type of tasks undertaken in the behavioral studies: simply viewing words or pictures on a screen and responding with corresponding button presses. Before beginning the fMRI experiment, you will fill out informed consent and screening forms. The experimenter will explain these in detail and answer any questions you may have regarding the task or the scanner itself. Throughout the scanning session you will be in full contact with the experimenters through a two-way intercom system.
Compensation for fMRI studies is $20/hour, plus parking.
**Female participants age 18-30 will be asked to take a urinary pregnancy test before going into the fMRI scanner.
To read more about what fMRI is, please click here.