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TRANSLATIONAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY & AGING

TRANSLATIONAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY & AGING

TNAge Lab - Directed by Dr. Sharon Naparstek

We are interested in studying the interaction between cognitive abilities, their underlying neural circuity, and psychiatric symptoms across the lifespan. To achieve this we take a multidisciplinary approach, combining the study of cognitive abilities using computer-based tasks, EEG brain activation recordings, and tracking self-reported mental health symptoms using questionniares. We are also interested in developing technology-based neuropsychological tests and tools to improve the way we diagnose different cognitive and mental health condition; and to provide useful information that will assist in treatment planning. To address our questions, we analyze our data using state-of-the-art analysis tools and methods including Graph Theory and Machine Learning methods.

Fields of Interest

Adaptive and At-Risk Aging: Psychological, Cognitive, and Social Pathways

Developing Technology-Based Tools for Mental and Cognitive Health

Multidimensional Flexibility: Unlocking Resilience and Understanding Psychopathology

Affective and Cognitive Flexibility: Voluntary and Cued

Linguistic and Cognitive Markers of Depression

Recent Publications

Rosenfeld-Ganzel, A., Shalev, H., Hochman, S., Zultan, R., Cohen, N., & Naparstek, S. (2025). Oxytocin's role in the interaction between emotion and cognitive control. Biological Psychology, 196, Article 109004. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109004
Gliksman, Y., Naparstek, S., Bar-Hen Schweiger, M., & Henik, A. (2025). Mental manipulation, numerical cognition, and developmental dyscalculia. In Developmental Dyscalculia: From Brain Mechanisms to Educational Applications (pp. 123-138). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-22224-5.00006-0
Vassover, Y., Bekerman, I., Copperman, T., Schwartz, Y., Shahar, M., Silber-Varod, V., & Naparstek, S. (2024). Spotting Traces of Depression in a Verbal Fluency Test. Workshop on Speech, Music and Mind, 26-30. Advance online publication. https://www.isca-archive.org/smm_2024/vassover24_smm.pdf
Naparstek, S., Yeh, A. K., & Mills-Finnerty, C. (2023). Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS) applications in cognitive aging: a review and commentary. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 15, Article 1145207. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2023.1145207

Messages

Come hear us at ISBP 2026

Dr. Sharon Naparstek will lead a session about Cognitive Aging, Depression, and Neurodegenerative Risk
Yonatan will give a talk on aging and cognitive reserve 
Geffen will present a poster about flexibility and borderline personality disorder
Dafna will present a poster with a pilot study of computational resources and efficiency in aging

 

👩🏻‍🎓 the Charles J. Gelso Grant 2026

We are delighted to share that Lihi Cohen has received the Charles J. Gelso Psychotherapy Research Grant 2026 from the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy Research (APA Division 29) for the project "Using LLM to Represent and Discover Patterns of Therapist Responsiveness in Psychotherapy." The grant supports her doctoral research, supervised by Dr. Sharon Naparstek and Prof. Dana Atzil-Slonim.

🔭 New Publication in Scientific Reports


We are happy to share our new publication in Scientific Reports on age-related changes in numerical abilities and the role of individual differences: Math and verbal fluency across adulthood provide insights into aging and individual differences.
Link

 

APS 2026 Poster Presentation 📝

Come visit our poster at the APS Annual Convention 2026 in Barcelona, May 28–30: “Psychological and Socioemotional Flexibility Shape Depression in Younger and Older Adults.” This is wonderful work by our students Eran Khalif Josef and Avigail Rosenfeld-Ganzel.

Poster #62276, Poster Session I
Thursday, 28 May 2026, 8:15 PM–9:15 PM
APS link

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