Bio
As we grow older our mental processes slow and we often have subtle difficulties in individual cognitive domains such as memory, language or executive function. However, dementia, characterized by the overt inability to think or behave as we once did, is not the natural course of aging. The goal of my research is to distinguish those who are at risk for developing dementia from those who have more benign, age-related cognitive changes and to determine how neuroimaging can contribute to our understanding of the pathophysiology of dementia. Using functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) I am investigating these issues on several levels. First, in collaboration with Dr. Suzanne Craft, I am studying the effects of intranasally administered insulin on cerebral blood-flow and brain function with MRI. Given the possible association between diabetes and dementia intranasal insulin is being investigated as cognitive enhancer although the mechanism of its actions on neuronal function and cognition are largely unknown. This project will address the initial question of whether acute intranasal insulin administration changes cerebral blood flow and alters resting state neurovascular oscillations. In my second project, in collaboration with Dr. Sherry Willis, I use MRI (DTI, ASL and MRS) to explore how grey and white matter pathology develops and contributes to cognitive changes across the life span. Subjects for this work have been drawn from the Seattle Longitudinal Study and have been specifically selected for their ability to improve, or not improve, on standardized neurocognitive tests. Understanding what is going on in the brains of these healthy middle-aged individuals who improve with age, and how they differ from those who manifest cognitive declines even in middle age, may shed light on how we could identify and treat those at risk for developing later dementia. Finally, in collaboration with Dr. Soo Borson, I am examining the utility of MRI and SPECT imaging in clinical practice. When an older individual initially presents with cognitive problems the clinician often orders a structural MRI and complimentary perfusion imaging with PET or SPECT. How these images help the clinician in a real world, medically heterogeneous clinic is unclear. This project aims to identify patient characteristics and neuroimaging findings that will aid in our decisions regarding who should get neuroimaging and how to interpret the results.
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