A critical perspective on the mediatization of brain imaging and healthy ageing

Najmeh Khalili-Mahani; Eugène Loos

doi:10.22323/2.22050401

A critical perspective on the mediatization of brain imaging and healthy ageing

Najmeh Khalili-Mahani
, Eugène Loos

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Since the invention of functional brain imaging in the early 1990s, this instrumentally and computationally expensive methodology has captured our interests in visualizing the working mind, especially that of super-ageing brains. Because neuroimaging research is costly, various communication strategies are deployed to increase its visibility and fundraising success. Through a historical perspective on the representation of healthy ageing in the media, we examine the methods of communication (media logic) and the cultural interdependencies between media, research institutions, and health funding politics (mediatization), which magnify the profile of brain imaging in advancing the science of healthy ageing. Examples of hyped messaging about healthy-ageing brains underline the risk of visual ageism — a prejudiced and stereotypical view of what a good or bad older brain looks like. We argue that hyped mediatization can alienate older adults from participating in a line of research that might stigmatize them.

Original language	English
Article number	Y01
Number of pages	16
Journal	Journal of Science Communication
Volume	22
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.22323/2.22050401
Publication status	Published - 9 Oct 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s). This article is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution — NonCommercial — NoDerivativeWorks 4.0 License. ISSN 1824-2049. Published by SISSA Medialab. jcom.sissa.it

Funding

research fund in Canadian history, named the Canada Brain Research Fund. Through this $240-million CAN public-private partnership, the Government of Canada, through Health Canada, is matching $120 million CAN raised by Brain Canada and its partners on a 1:1 basis” [Jabalpurwala, 2016]. Much of this funding has been dedicated to age-related neurodegenerative diseases [Building better brain health: 2020–2021 impact report, 2021].

Funders
Canada Brain Research Fund

Keywords

Health communication
History of public communication of science
Science and media

Access to Document

10.22323/2.22050401Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

jcom-1279-khalili-mahaniFinal published version, 552 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

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A critical perspective on the mediatization of brain imaging and healthy ageing

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

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Cite this