Well-being as a Protective Factor against Cognitive Decline and Dementia Risk

项目概要 独立之路奖将为候选人提供学习的知识和技能 健康是预防阿尔茨海默病和相关痴呆症 (ADRD) 的关键保护因素。 ADRD 是一个 巨大且快速增长的公共卫生负担，而且没有可用的疾病缓解治疗方法。 然而，并非所有患有 ADRD 相关神经病理学的人都会出现痴呆症状。幸福是 ADRD 神经病理学认知弹性的一个尚未得到充分研究但重要的预测因子，因为它已被 与 ADRD 风险相关，并且易于干预。候选人将评估多种幸福感 ADRD 病理恢复能力的预测因子（目标 1）。为了解决与因果关系方向相关的问题， 候选人将研究患有以下疾病的老年人的幸福感和认知能力下降之间的双向关联 并且没有 ADRD（目标 2）。为了提高研究结果的普遍性和可复制性，这两个研究目标都将 在多个现有的纵向数据集中进行。支持候选人进行拟议的 计划在三个领域进行研究和培训：(a) 阿尔茨海默病和相关痴呆症 (ADRD)，(b) 纵向观测数据的因果建模，以及 (c) 综合数据分析。培训将在 每个领域的知名专家的指导（包括两名人格和健康心理学家，一名 流行病学家和定量心理学家）。在K99期间，候选人将接受以下方面的培训： ADRD 将应用于拟议的研究目标和因果建模技术的培训 这将用于拟议研究的第二个目标。在这两个奖项期间，候选人 将与导师团队合作，与现有的纵向研究建立关系，并制定 综合数据分析管道。医学社会科学系的培训环境， 西北范伯格医学院将是拟议的培训和研究以及 发展候选人的专业技能。该奖项将共同帮助候选人开展她的研究 作为一名独立科学家，在福祉、认知和身体健康方面拥有独特的专业知识 寿命和纵向建模。

PROJECT SUMMARY The Pathway to Independence Award will equip the candidate with the knowledge and skills to study well-being as a key protective factor against Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). ADRD is a substantial and rapidly-growing public health burden, with no available disease-modifying treatments. However, not everyone with ADRD-related neuropathology experiences symptoms of dementia. Well-being is an understudied but important predictor of cognitive resilience to ADRD neuropathology, given that it has been associated with ADRD risk and is amenable to intervention. The candidate will evaluate multiple well-being predictors of resilience to ADRD pathology (Aim 1). To address questions related to direction of causality, the candidate will examine bidirectional associations between well-being and cognitive decline in older adults with and without ADRD (Aim 2). To increase the generalizability and replicability of findings, both research aims will be conducted in multiple existing longitudinal datasets. To support the candidate in conducting the proposed research, training in three areas is planned: (a) Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), (b) causal modeling of longitudinal observational data, and (c) Integrative Data Analysis. Training will occur under the mentorship of renowned experts in each field (including two personality and health psychologists, an epidemiologist, and a quantitative psychologist). During the K99 period, the candidate will receive training in ADRD that will be applied to both aims of the proposed research and training in causal modeling techniques that will be used in the second aim of the proposed research. During both periods of the award, the candidate will work with the mentor team to build relationships with existing longitudinal studies and develop an Integrative Data Analysis pipeline. The training environment at the Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine will be ideal for the proposed training and research, as well as for developing the candidate’s professional skills. Together, the award will help the candidate launch her research career as an independent scientist with unique expertise in well-being, cognitive and physical health across the lifespan, and longitudinal modeling.