Traffic pollution, brain structure and cognitive function: the role of subclinica

Elissa Wilker博士的长期职业目标是成为一名能够领导环境影响和大脑活动研究的独立调查员。这项研究的目的是阐明交通污染对人群大脑结构和认知功能的影响，其中包括轻度记忆投诉或早期痴呆症患者。在该奖项的指导（K99）阶段，申请人将获得专业知识，进行空气污染对认知能力下降和小血管疾病的慢性影响的研究，通过神经成像评估。她还将接受神经流行病学，神经科学和痴呆症，先进的统计方法和暴露评估领域的培训。Murray Mittleman博士将担任该奖项的主要导师，并将监督Wilker博士培训的各个方面。Mittleman博士在环境流行病学，生物机制和统计方法方面拥有独特的专业知识，这将使他成为导师团队的理想协调员。他还拥有丰富的指导经验，并将为职业发展提供主要支持。此外，Wilker博士将由Deborah Blacker博士和Anand Viswanathan博士共同指导，以接受神经流行病学，神经影像学方法及其临床解释的特定培训。Wilker博士还将在环境和神经统计方法以及环境暴露评估方面提供支持。在本奖项的独立阶段（R00）阶段，申请人将调查交通暴露与皮质形态和淀粉样蛋白沉积的新神经影像学测量之间的关联。这项拟议中的研究使用了对长期暴露于交通污染的详细个人水平估计和最先进的神经成像技术，以研究交通对轻度认知障碍人群大脑的影响。这项工作 将为开发一种全面的方法来确定大脑结构变化和认知功能下降的环境风险因素迈出第一步。这项研究计划的结果将阐明空气污染对处于进一步认知能力下降和痴呆症风险人群大脑影响的潜在血管和非血管机制。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Dr. Elissa Wilker's long term career goal is to become an independent investigator capable of leading studies on environmental impacts and brain activity. The objective of this research proposal is to elucidate the impact of traffic pollution o brain structure and cognitive function in a population that includes individuals with mild memory complaints or early dementia. During the mentored (K99) phase of this award, the applicant will gain expertise conducting studies of the chronic effects of air pollution on cognitive decline and small vessel disease, as assessed by neuroimaging. She will also receive training in the areas of neuroepidemiology, neuroscience and dementia, advanced statistical methodology and exposure assessment. Dr. Murray Mittleman will serve as the Primary Mentor for this award and will oversee all aspects of Dr. Wilker's training. Dr. Mittleman has a unique expertise in environmental epidemiology, biological mechanisms, and statistical methods that will make him an ideal coordinator for the mentorship team. He also has extensive mentorship experience and will provide primary support for career development. In addition, Dr. Wilker will be co-mentored by Dr. Deborah Blacker and Dr. Anand Viswanathan in order to receive specific training in neuroepidemiology, neuroimaging methodologies and their clinical interpretation. Dr. Wilker will also have support in environmental-and neuro-statistical methods as well as environmental exposure assessment. During the independent phase (R00) phase of this award, the applicant will investigate associations between traffic exposures and novel neuroimaging measures of cortical morphology and amyloid deposition. The proposed research uses detailed individual-level estimates of long term exposure to traffic pollution and state of the art neuroimaging to study the effects of traffic on the brain in a population with mild cognitive impairment. This work will provide a first step in developing a comprehensive approach to identify environmental risk factors of structural changes in the brain and declines in cognitive function. The findings from this program of research will elucidate understanding the underlying vascular and non-vascular mechanisms of air pollution effects on the brain in a population at risk for further cognitive decline and dementia.