The Center for Cognition and Affect in Chronic Illness

描述（由申请人提供）：慢性病是美国死亡的主要原因，近7/10的死亡归因于慢性健康状况。2005年，几乎每2个美国人中就有1个患有慢性疾病，四分之一的人至少有一次日常功能限制。慢性疾病，如心血管疾病，糖尿病，阿尔茨海默氏症和艾滋病毒/艾滋病与抑郁症和焦虑症的发病率高于一般人群。越来越多的证据表明，许多慢性疾病对神经认知功能有不利影响。此外，神经认知障碍（NCI）（例如执行功能，记忆力，注意力的缺陷）和情绪困扰可以通过降低自我护理的能力和动机直接影响慢性疾病;情绪困扰可以失调神经内分泌级联并对免疫功能产生负面影响，也会恶化疾病。NCI和情感困扰也可以是相互依赖的;一种症状的存在可能会加剧另一种症状的影响。因此，情感和认知症状可以通过生理和行为途径增强疾病的负面过程;这些途径的中断有可能减少这种负面进展。Nell Hodgson Woodruff的慢性疾病认知和情感中心。埃默里大学护理学院旨在产生新的知识，阐明慢性疾病中情感和认知症状之间的潜在机制和复杂相互作用。该中心的总体目标是促进，支持和作为研究慢性疾病的情感和认知症状的病因，识别，评估和有效治疗的研究孵化器。通过集中的研究资源和基础设施，该中心将促进和维持跨学科的研究活动和护理研究的独立计划，以推进情感和认知症状的科学。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Chronic disease is the leading cause of death in the United States with nearly 7 out of 10 deaths attributed to chronic health conditions. In 2005, almost 1 out of every 2 Americans had a chronic illness and one-quarter had at least one day-to-day functional limitation. Chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and HIV/AIDS are associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety than in the general population. Mounting evidence points to the detrimental impact of many chronic illnesses on neurocognitive functioning. In addition, neurocognitive impairment (NCI) (e.g. deficits in executive functioning, memory, attention) and emotional distress can directly impact chronic illness via reduced capacity and motivation for self-care; emotional distress can dysregulate neuroendocrine cascades and negatively impact immune function also worsening disease. NCI and affective distress can be interdependent as well; the existence of one symptom potentially compounding the effects of the other. Therefore, affective and cognitive symptoms can potentiate a negative course of illness through both physiological and behavioral pathways; disruption of these pathways has the potential to reduce this negative progression. The proposed Center for Cognition and Affect in Chronic Illness in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff. School of Nursing at Emory University seeks to produce new knowledge that will elucidate the underlying mechanisms of and complex interactions between affective and cognitive symptoms in chronic illnesses. The overarching goal of the proposed Center is to promote, support, and serve as an incubator for research studying the etiology, identification, assessment, and effective treatment of affective and cognitive symptoms of chronic illness. Through centralized research resources and infrastructure, the Center will promote and sustain interdisciplinary research activities and independent programs of nursing research to advance the science of affective and cognitive symptoms.