Jeannette R. Mahoney, Ph.D.
- Associate Professor, The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology
- Associate Director, Division of Cognitive and Motor Aging, The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology
- Head, Sensorimotor Integration in Aging Lab
- Director, Translational Science Career Enhancement and Networking Development (TRANSCEND) Program
Area of research
- Multisensory Integration (MSI); Sensory processing; Aging; Falls; Mobility; Gait; Balance & Postural Stability; Cognition; Executive Functioning; Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI); preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Phone
Location
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine 1225 Morris Park Avenue Van Etten 316G Bronx, NY 10461
Research Profiles
Professional Interests
Multisensory integration (MSI) is an integral aspect of functioning and mobility in everyday life and ability to function well in the real world requires intact MSI. MSI is not fully understood in aging, and its relation to cognitive and motor function has not been comprehensively evaluated. The main objective of my research is to investigate the behavioral, functional, and structural correlates of MSI in older adults and to determine whether multisensory processes are associated with specific cognitive and motor outcomes. Our recent work in older adults has linked the magnitude of visual-somatosensory integration to important cognitive (attention) and motor (balance, gait, and falls) outcomes. We have highlighted the adverse effect of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and dementia on these relationships, but the underlying functional and neuroanatomical networks remain unidentified.
Growing evidence suggests that Alzheimer’s pathology manifests in sensory association areas well before appearing in neural regions involved in memory function. Identification of novel, non-cognitive, non-invasive markers of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are a national priority identified by the National Alzheimer Plan and the NIH. Our most recent NIA funding affords us an opportunity to determine whether visual-somatosensory integration is a novel marker for Alzheimer’s disease. Our central hypothesis is that preclinical Alzheimer’s disease is associated with neural disruptions in subcortical and cortical areas that concurrently modulate multisensory, cognitive, and motor functions, resulting in mobility decline. Our proposed study, strategically designed to examine the interplay of multisensory, cognitive, and mobility processes, will: 1) provide a deeper understanding of the functional neural networks involved in MSI processes in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease; 2) determine whether functional multisensory activation in prefrontal cortex predicts future mobility decline and falls in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease; 3) assess the validity of multisensory integration as an early marker for preclinical Alzheimer’s disease; and 4) provide insights into the neurobiology of Alzheimer’s disease. Results from this project will guide future multisensory-based interventions aimed to alleviate disability and maintain functional independence of older adults at-risk for Alzheimer’s disease that can significantly augment existing interventions. Although admittedly speculative, we believe that optimizing integration of visual-somatosensory inputs may ultimately provide the framework for successful interventions that will reduce falls, improve mobility, and help maintain functional independence in older adults.
As well, we have made significant strides with regards to identifying a novel quantitative multisensory fall-risk screening tool called CatchU® Before you Fall... Falls are a significant burden to the U.S. healthcare system with over $50B spent annually on fatal and non-fatal falls. Nearly 30% of Americans aged 65 years and over (~16M) experience a fall every year. Falls are the leading cause of injury and injury-related death in older adults. Alzheimer’s disease, the most-common cause of dementia, affects nearly 6M older Americans. Besides cognitive impairment, older adults with Alzheimer’s disease are at high-risk for mobility declines and falls. The main objective of our novel multisensory fall-risk screener is to assist healthcare professionals in predicting and preventing falls in older adults with preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. Long-term goals include preventing serious injury and death in older adults, while offsetting the accelerating economic burden of falls in the United States.
Selected Publications
- Mahoney, J.R., George, C.J., Verghese, J., Introducing CatchUTM: A Novel Multisensory Tool for Assessing Patients’ Risk of Falling. Journal of Perceptual Imaging, 4 (3), 2021.
- Mahoney, J.R. Multisensory integration, mobility, and risk of falls in older adults. Research Features. October 2021.
- Verghese, J., Mahoney, J.R., Ayers, E., Ambrose, A., Wang, C., & Holtzer, R. Computerised cognitive remediation to enhance mobility in older adults: a single-blind, single-centre, randomised trial. Lancet Healthy Longevity. 2021; 2(9): e571-e579.
- Mahoney, J.R., Verghese, J., & George, C. The influence of diabetes on multisensory integration and mobility in Aging. BrainSciences, 11(3): 285, 2021.
- Malcolm, B.R., Foxe, J.J., Joshi, S., Verghese, J., Mahoney, J.R., Molholm, S. & De Sanctis, P. Aging-related changes in cortical mechanisms supporting postural control during base support and optic flow manipulations. European Journal of Neuroscience, 2020 [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 33047390
- Mahoney, J.R. & Verghese, J. Does Cognitive Impairment Influence Visual-Somatosensory Integration and Mobility in Older Adults? Journal of Gerontology, Medical Sciences, 75(3):581-588, 2020. PMID: 31111868
- Mahoney, J.R. & Barnett-Cowan, M., Introduction to the Special Issue on Multisensory Processing and Aging: Links to Clinically Meaningful Outcomes. Multisensory Research 32(8):665-670, 2019. PMID: 31648200
- Basharat, A., Mahoney, J.R. & Barnett-Cowan, M., Temporal Metrics of Multisensory Processing Change in the Elderly. Multisensory Research 32(8):715-744, 2019. PMID: 31648192
- Mahoney, J.R. & Verghese, J. Using the Race Model Inequality to Quantify Behavioral Multisensory Integration Effects. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 147: e59575, 2019.PMID: 31132070
- Mahoney, J.R., Cotton, K., & Verghese, J. Multisensory Integration Predicts Balance and Falls in Older Adults. Journal of Gerontology, Medical Sciences, 74(9):1429-1435, 2019. PMID: 30357320
- Mahoney, J.R. & Verghese, J. Visual-Somatosensory Integration and Quantitative Gait in Aging. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 10: 377, 2018. PMID: 30538628
- Marusic, U., Verghese, J., & Mahoney, J.R. Cognitive Based Interventions to Improve Mobility: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMDA, 19: 484-491, 2018. PMID: 29680203
- Santos, D., Mahoney, J.R., Allali, G., & Verghese, J. Physical Activity in Older Adults with Mild Parkinsonian Signs: A cohort study. Journal of Gerontology, Medical Sciences, 73 (12); 1682-1687, 2018. PMID: 29931236
- Mahoney, J.R., Oh-Park, M., Ayers, E., & Verghese, J. Quantitative Trunk Sway and Prediction of Incident Falls in Older Adults. Gait and Posture, 58: 183-187, 2017. PMID: 28797962
- Chen, M., Pillemer, S., England, S., Izzetoglu, M., Mahoney, J.R., & Holtzer, R. Neural Correlates of Obstacle Negotiation in Older Adults: An fNIRS Study. Gait and Posture, 18 (58): 130-135, 2017. PMID: 28778021
- Holtzer, R., Schoen, C., Demetriou, E., Mahoney, J.R., Izzetoglu, M., Wang, C., & Verghese, J. Stress and gender effects on prefrontal cortex oxygenation levels assessed during single and dual-task walking conditions. Eur J Neurosci., 45 (5): 660-670, 2017. PMID: 28028863
- Holtzer, R., Yuan, J, Verghese, J., Mahoney, J.R., Izzetoglu, M., & Wang, C. Interactions of Subjective and Objective Measures of Fatigue Defined in the Context of Brain Control of Locomotion. Journal of Gerontology, Medical Sciences, 72(3):417-423, 2017. PMID: 27567110
- Verghese, J., Ayers, E., Mahoney, J.R., Ambrose, A., Wang, C., Holtzer, R. Cognitive remediation to enhance mobility in older adults: the CREM study. Neurodegener Dis Manag, 6(6):457-466, 2016. PMID:27813452
- Dumas, K., Holtzer, R., & Mahoney, J.R. Visual-Somatosensory Integration in Older Adults: Links to Sensory Acuity and Balance. Multisensory Research, 29 (4-5): 397-420, 2016. PMID: 29384609
- Holtzer, R., Verghese, J., Allali, G., Izzetoglu, M., Wang, C., & Mahoney, J.R., Neurological Gait Abnormalities Moderate the Functional Brain Signature of the Posture First Hypothesis.Brain Topography, 2015. PMID: 26613725
- Mahoney, J.R., Holtzer, R., Izzetoglu, M., Zemon, V., Verghese, J., & Allali, G. The role of the prefrontal cortex in postural control in Parkinsonian syndromes. Brain Research, 163: 126-138, 2015. PMID: 26551767
- LeMonda, B., Mahoney, J.R., Verghese, J., & Holtzer, R. The Association between High Neuroticism-Low Extraversion and Dual-Task Performance during Walking while Talking in Healthy Older Adults. J Int Neuropsychol Soc., 21 (7):519-530, 2015. PMID: 26527241
- Mahoney, J.R., Molholm, S., Butler, J.S., Sehatpour, P., Gomez-Ramirez, M., Ritter, W. & Foxe, J.J. Keeping in Touch with the Visual System: Spatial Alignment and Multisensory Integration of Visual- Somatosensory Inputs. Frontiers in Psychology, 5 (6): 1068, 2015. PMID: 26300797
- Mahoney, J.R., Verghese, J., Dumas, K. & Holtzer, R. Visual-Somatosensory Integration is linked to Physical Activity Level in Older Adults. Multisensory Research, 28 (1-2): 11-29, 2015. PMID: 26152050
- Holtzer, R., Mahoney, J.R., Izzetoglu, M., Wang, C., England, S., & Verghese, J. Online Fronto-cortical Control of Simple and Attention-Demanding Locomotion in Humans. Neuroimage, 112: 152-159, 2015. PMID: 25765257
- England, S., Verghese, J., Mahoney, J.R., Trantzas, K., & Holtzer, R. Three level rating of turns while walking, Gait and Posture, 41(1):300-3, 2015. PMID: 25282258
- Lee, S., Verghese, J., Holtzer, R., Mahoney, J.R., & Oh-Park, M. Trunk Sway during Walking among Older Adults: Norms and Correlation with Gait Velocity. Gait & Posture, 40(4):676-681, 2014. PMID: 25155693
- Mahoney, J.R., Holtzer, R., Dumas, K., & Verghese, J. Visual-Somatosensory Integration & Balance: Evidence for Psychophysical Integrative Differences in Aging. Multisensory Research, 27(1): 17-42, 2014. PMID: 25102664
- Mahoney, J.R., Verghese, J., Holtzer, R. & Allali, G. The evolution of mild parkinsonian signs in aging. Journal of Neurology, 261(10):1922-1928, 2014. PMID: 25047763
- Allali, G., Verghese, J. & Mahoney, J.R. Contributions of Parkinsonian features to Gait in the Elderly. Age (Dordr), 36:9678, 2014. PMID: 24981115
- Holtzer, R., Epstein, N., Mahoney, J.R., Izzetoglu, M., & Blumen, H.M. Neuroimaging of Mobility in Aging: A Targeted Review. Journal of Gerontology, Medical Sciences, 69(11):1375-88, 2014. PMID: 24739495
- Mahoney, J.R., Verghese, J., Dumas, K., & Holtzer, R. Visual-Somatosensory Integration in Aging: Does Stimulus Location Really Matter? Visual Neuroscience, 31(3):275-83, 2014. PMID: 24698637
- Shapiro, M, Mahoney, J.R., Peyser, D., Zingman, B. & Verghese, J. Cognitive Reserve Protects Against Apathy in Individuals with Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 29(1):110-120, 2014. PMID: 24021844
- Holtzer, R., Mahoney, J.R., Verghese, J. Intraindividual variability but not speed of processing or conflict resolution predicts performance differences in gait speed in older adults. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, 69(8): 980-986, 2014. PMID: 24285744
- Parihar, R., Mahoney, J.R., & Verghese, J. Relationship of Gait and Cognition in the Elderly. Current Translational Geriatrics and Experimental Gerontology Reports, 2:167-173, 2013. PMID: 24349877
- Shapiro, M., Mahoney, J., Zingman, B, Pogge, D, & Verghese, J. Apathy Correlates with Cognitive Performance, Functional Disability, and HIV RNA Plasma Levels in HIV-Positive Individuals. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 35(9):934-945, 2013. PMID: 24090038
- Oh-Park, M., Holtzer, R., Mahoney, J., Wang, Raghavan, P. & Verghese, J. Motor dual-task effect on gait and task of upper limbs in older adults under specific task prioritization: pilot study. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 25(1):99-106, 2013. PMID: 23740639
- Mahoney, J.R., Verghese J, Dumas K, Wang C, Holtzer R. The effect of multisensory cues on attention in aging. Brain Res. 1472, 63-73, 2012. PMID: 22820295
- Oh-Park, M., Holtzer, R., Mahoney, J., Wang, C., & Verghese, J. Effect of treadmill training on specific gait parameters in older adults with frailty: case series. J Geriatr Phys Ther. 34(4), 184-188, 2011. PMID: 22124418
- Mahoney, J.R., Li, P., Oh-Park, M., Verghese, J., & Holtzer, R. Multisensory Integration Across the Senses in Young and Old Adults. Brain Research, 426, 43-53, 2011. PMID: 22024545
- Holtzer, R., Shuman, M., Mahoney, J., Lipton, R., & Verghese, J. Cognitive Fatigue Defined in the Context of Attention Networks. Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn., 18, 108-128, 2011. PMID:21128132
- Holtzer,R., Mahoney, J.R., Izzetoglu,M., Izzetoglu,K., Onaral, B., & Verghese, J. fNIRS Study of Walking and Walking While Talking in Young and Old Individuals. J Int Neuropsychol Soc., 16(5), 877-89, 2011. PMID:21593013
- Mahoney, J., Verghese, J. Goldin, Y., Lipton, R. & Holtzer, R. Alerting, Orienting, and Executive Attention in Older Adults. J Int Neuropsychol Soc., 16(5), 877-889, 2010. PMID: 20663241
- Verghese J., Mahoney J., Wang C., Ambrose A.F., & Holtzer, R. Effect of cognitive remediation on gait in sedentary seniors. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci.,65(12), 1338-1343, 2010. PMID: 20643703
- Katz, R., De Sanctis, P., Mahoney, J.R., Sehatpour, P., Murphy, C., Gomez-Ramirez, M., Alexopoulos, G.A., & Foxe, J.J. Cognitive Control in Late-Life Depression: Response inhibition deficits and dysfunction of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 18(11), 1017-1025, 2010. PMID: 20808083
- Sehatpour, P., Molholm, S., Schwartz, T.H., Mahoney, J.R., Mehta, A., Javitt, D., Stanton, P.K., & Foxe, J.J. A human intracranial study of long-range oscillatory coherence across a frontal-occipital-hippocampal brain network during visual object processing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A., 105(11), 4399-4404, 2008. PMID:18334648
- Gomez-Ramirez, M., Higgins, B.A., Rycroft, J.A., Owen, G.N., Mahoney, J., Shpaner, M., & Foxe, J.J. The deployment of intersensory selective attention: A high-density electrical mapping study of the effects of Theanine. Clin Neuropharmacol., 30 (1), 25-38, 2007. PMID: 17272967
- Butler, P.D., Martinez, A., Foxe, J.J., Kim, D., Zemon, V., Silipo, G., Mahoney, J., Shpaner, M., Jalbrzikowski, M., &. Javitt, D. C. Subcortical visual dysfunction in schizophrenia drives secondary cortical impairments. Brain, 130, 417-430, 2007. PMID: 16984902