LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF AGE RELATED MEMORY DECLINE

候选人在认知神经科学和临床神经学方面的背景最近以衰老和痴呆症方面的奖学金而达到顶峰。正是在这种背景下，他对衰老对记忆的影响产生了兴趣，并致力于研究与年龄相关的记忆衰退的表现，临床过程和原因。前瞻性地跟踪单个队列的记忆表现是解决记忆和衰老相关问题的有力方法。然而，除了一些例外，纵向研究很难记录与年龄相关的记忆力下降，这要么是因为与重复测试相关的学习效果，要么是因为选择性的受试者流失。在一系列初步研究中，候选人最近确定了一个实验设计，该设计使用纵向数据证明了与年龄相关的记忆力下降。该建议的第一个目标是候选人接受神经心理学和其他数据纵向分析的正式培训。该提案的第一个研究目标是候选人将这些知识应用于前瞻性随访的社区老年人，以更好地记录与年龄相关的记忆力下降。与年龄相关的记忆力下降的原因仍然未知，但可能包括早期阿尔茨海默病（AD）以及其他以年龄依赖性方式变化的生理过程。这位候选人最近开发了一种使用功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）来研究记忆衰退的老年人的方法。初步研究结果表明，这种方法可以将个体分离为具有AD样脑功能障碍模式的个体和具有单独功能障碍模式的个体。本提案的第二个培训目标是让候选人继续接受功能成像方面的培训。第二个研究目标是验证功能磁共振成像方法可以通过前瞻性地跟踪记忆衰退个体的临床过程来分离不同的病因。

The candidate's background in cognitive neuroscience and clinical neurology has recently culminated with a fellowship in aging and dementia. It was in this setting that he developed an interest on the effect of aging on memory, and has committed himself to a career studying the presentation, clinical course, and causes of age-related memory decline. Following the memory performance of a single cohort prospectively is a powerful approach in addressing lingering questions about memory and aging. With some exceptions, however, longitudinal studies have had difficulty in documenting age-related memory decline, either because of the learning effect associated with repeated testing or because of selective subject attrition. In a series of preliminary studies the candidate has recently identified an experimental design that demonstrates age-related memory decline using longitudinal data. The first objective of this proposal is for the candidate to receive formal training in longitudinal analysis of neuropsychological and other data. The first research goal of this proposal is for the candidate to apply this knowledge to community- based elderly individuals followed prospectively, in an attempt to better document age-related memory decline. The causes of age-related memory decline remain unknown but likely include early Alzheimer's disease (AD) as well as other physiological processes that change in an age-dependant manner. The candidate has recently developed a method using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study elderly individuals with memory decline. Preliminary findings suggest that this method can dissociate individuals into those with an AD-like pattern of brain dysfunction and those with a separate pattern of dysfunction. The second training objective of this proposal is for the candidate to continue his training in functional imaging. The second research goal is to validate-that the fMRI method can dissociate different etiologies by following the clinical course of individuals with memory decline prospectively.