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Is inappropriate prescribing among older patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) a predictor of patient adverse outcomes? An analysis of the SOAED trial

Our brain combines information from across the senses to allow us to perceive a coherent world. This process of combining cross-sensory inputs changes over the lifespan: efficient multisensory integration typically emerges late in childhood while ageing can be associated with poor integration. In our recent work we have shown that the brain’s ability to combine sensory information underpins cognitive function as well as physical abilities such as gait and posture control in older age. Here we propose to extend these findings in two important ways: by expanding our research programme to investigate multisensory processes in childhood and by assessing the role of multisensory integration in the perception of objects. The formation of distinct object representations which help us to identity and interact with the objects in our environment and is critical to higher-order cognition. Although this ability is shaped by perceptual experience, how it changes across the lifespan is poorly understood. We will employ a category learning paradigm where participants (children, adults and older adults) will learn to distinguish objects based on visual (colour), haptic (texture) and visuo-haptic features (shape) before categorising the objects based on this learning. We will investigate how task performance is influenced by development and participant age more broadly and how individual differences (e.g., participant sex, living environment and hobbies) further shape this process. This population-level, lifespan-oriented research project will provide valuable insights into the encoding of multisensory information and the findings are envisaged to help (1) inform new learning and treatment options for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders who show difficulties with multisensory integration and concept acquisition and (2) shed light on the role of childhood development, ageing and modifiable factors that inform perceptual experience in the formation and maintenance of multisensory objects representations.