EARLY MARKERS OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE

巴尔的摩纵向研究参与者的纵向研究 老龄化（BLSA）已经表明，在一些认知和 70岁后记忆力测试下降。然而，有大量的 认知老化轨迹中的个体差异。数据 来自我们实验室的数据表明， 预测认知和记忆的后期损伤， 可能是病理性认知老化的早期标志。的贡献 大脑结构和功能的变化对这些认知差异的影响 由于尚未收集神经影像学数据， 系统地为这些人，很少有研究， 这种变化的文学。该项目将通过以下方式解决这一差距： 获取和量化180项年度神经影像学研究 选择BLSA参与者（90名男性和90名女性，年龄60岁， （九年以上）最先进的磁共振成像技术 (MRI)正电子发射断层扫描（PET）将用于测量大脑 解剖结构和血流。PET和氧-15标记水将 提供静息状态下脑血流量的测量， 在执行记忆任务期间， 在认知需求期间老化的大脑。一组神经心理学的 测试将与神经成像结合进行 评价。 该项目的主要目标是解决以下问题 问题：1.先前的心理和生理特征是否预示着 脑结构和功能的变化以及神经心理学的变化 后来的生活？2.是大脑结构和功能的纵向变化 与认知和记忆能力的变化有关吗3.是什么 男性和女性的大脑解剖学和生理学的变化率， 60岁的年龄？4.大脑的频率和进展是什么 社区老年人口的异常情况？该项目将 为研究人员和临床医生提供关于 与大脑相关的正常和病理性认知老化的预测因子 异常，这将增强我们对健康变化的理解 和老年人的疾病，如阿尔茨海默病。

Longitudinal studies of participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) have indicated that performance on some cognitive and memory tests declines after age 70. However, there is a great deal of variability among individuals in the trajectories of cognitive aging. Data from our laboratory indicate that early declines in BLSA participants predict later impairments in cognition and memory and that such declines may be early markers of pathological cognitive aging. The contributions of changes in brain structure and function to these differences in cognitive aging are unclear, as neuroimaging data have not been collected systematically for these individuals and there are few studies in the literature of such changes. This project will address this gap through the acquisition and quantification of annual neuroimaging studies of 180 selected BLSA participants (90 males and 90 females, aged 60 years and older) over a 9-year period. State-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) will be used to measure brain anatomy and blood flow, respectively. PET and oxygen-15 labeled water will provide measurements of cerebral blood flow during resting conditions and during the performance of memory tasks to examine functional integrity of the aging brain during cognitive demand. A battery of neuropsychological tests will be administered in conjunction with the neuroimaging evaluations. The principal goals of this project are to address the following questions: 1. Do prior psychological and physical characteristics predict changes in brain structure and function and neuropsychological changes later in life? 2. Are longitudinal changes in brain structure and function associated with changes in cognitive and memory performance? 3. What is the rate of change in brain anatomy and physiology in men and women after the age of 60 years? 4. What is the frequency and progression of brain abnormalities in community-dwelling aged populations? This project will provide critical information for researchers and clinicians on the predictors of normal and pathological cognitive aging in relation to brain abnormalities, which will enhance our understanding of changes in health and diseases of the elderly, such as Alzheimer's Disease.