Integrating the Social Context, Sensory Functioning, and Inflammation in a Longitudinal Study of Cognitive Aging and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias

项目总结/摘要 对认知障碍和阿尔茨海默病及相关痴呆症（ADRD）的研究表明， 接触丰富或刺激的社会环境-即，社会复杂性-可能会减缓与年龄相关的认知 降低并延迟ADRD的发作或进展。这一领域的大多数研究都考虑了社会 在近端（例如，社交网络、社交活动）或远端（例如，邻里）上下文 塑造认知此外，以前对社会复杂性和认知的研究主要是分开进行的 从现有的生理框架来理解认知老化和ADRD。通过这个K 01，博士。 Alyssa Goldman将整合现有的关于感觉系统和炎症在塑造中的作用的研究。 认知下降和ADRD，并检查这些协会是如何通过近端和远端的变化来告知。 和远端社会复杂性。戈德曼博士的长期目标是领导一个社会科学研究项目 它使用创新的方法来更好地理解认知功能和ADRD的社会途径。 K 01奖将通过扩展她作为社会学家的先前培训来支持这一目标， 理解和技能：（1）认知老化，ADRD，感觉功能的生理学， 炎症，（2）认知，感觉功能和炎症的客观评估，通过大- 规模，在家里的调查方法，（3）先进的纵向分析方法，（4）赠款写作和 专业发展。与此同时，本项目有三个研究目标：（1）确定 近端和远端社会复杂性暴露的变化如何共同塑造认知和ADRD，（2） 确定近端和远端社会复杂性如何与嗅觉相关联， 认知和ADRD的轨迹，以及（3）确定近端和远端社会复杂性是如何 与炎症相关，可以解释认知和ADRD的变化。培训和 这项建议的研究目标将由一个由认知领域的知名专家组成的指导委员会监督 和ADRD，感觉系统，慢性炎症，衰老和社会背景。这项研究将产生 关于近端和远端社会因素对认知下降和ADRD的集体影响的新见解。此外，本发明还 这项研究将探讨社会复杂性如何塑造嗅觉和炎症的轨迹， 社会复杂性和认知健康之间的关系，在一个全国性的代表性样本的老年人 成年人了这些认知和ADRD的生理框架尚未在社会背景下进行 因素这项研究将开发社会网络变化的创新措施，这在很大程度上是理论化， 这可以应用于未来对认知老化和其他健康轨迹的研究。培训和 该奖项的研究活动将使戈德曼博士具备作为独立调查员取得成功的技能 感觉系统的社会背景，疾病过程及其与认知和ADRD的关系。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Research into cognitive impairments and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) suggests that exposure to enriching or stimulating social contexts – i.e., social complexity – may slow age-related cognitive decline and delay the onset or progression of ADRD. Most research in this area has considered how social complexity in either the proximal (e.g., social network, social activities) or distal (e.g., neighborhood) contexts shape cognition. Additionally, prior research on social complexity and cognition is conducted largely separately from existing physiological frameworks for understanding cognitive aging and ADRD. Through this K01, Dr. Alyssa Goldman will integrate existing research on the roles of sensory systems and inflammation in shaping cognitive decline and ADRD, and examine how these associations are informed by changes in both proximal and distal social complexity over time. Dr. Goldman’s long-term goal is to lead a social science research program that uses innovative approaches to better understand the social pathways of cognitive functioning and ADRD. The K01 Award will support this goal by extending her prior training as a sociologist, developing her understanding of and skills in: (1) the physiology of cognitive aging, ADRD, sensory functioning, and inflammation, (2) the objective assessment of cognition, sensory functioning, and inflammation through large- scale, in-home survey methods, (3) advanced methods for longitudinal analysis, and (4) grant writing and professional development. In parallel with this training, this project has three research aims: (1) to determine how changes in exposure to proximal and distal social complexity collectively shape cognition and ADRD, (2) to determine how proximal and distal social complexity are associated with olfaction, in ways that may shape trajectories of cognition and ADRD, and (3) to determine how proximal and distal social complexity are associated with inflammation, in ways that may explain changes in cognition and ADRD. The training and research goals of this proposal will be overseen by a mentorship committee of accomplished experts in cognition and ADRD, sensory systems, chronic inflammation, and aging and the social context. This study will generate new insights on the collective impact of proximal and distal social factors on cognitive decline and ADRD. Further, this study will examine how social complexity shapes trajectories of olfaction and inflammation as mechanisms in the relationship between social complexity and cognitive health in a nationally-representative sample of older adults. These physiological frameworks of cognition and ADRD have yet to be contextualized in terms of social factors. This study will develop innovative measures of social network change, which are largely undertheorized, and that can be applied to future studies of cognitive aging and other health trajectories. The training and research activities of this award will equip Dr. Goldman with the skills to succeed as an independent investigator of the social context of sensory systems, disease processes, and their relationships with cognition and ADRD.