Vitamin D in Older Adults: Cognition and Brain Structure

描述（由申请人提供）：这份职业发展申请提出了一个综合研究和培训计划，以发展评估老年人轻度认知障碍和测量大脑结构（特别是海马体）的专业知识。该应用程序的具体目的是确定维生素D缺乏是否与认知能力下降、抑郁症状和/或海马体积减少有关。长期目标是提供培训和教育，以促进申请人过渡到一个独立的面向患者的研究者。拟议的研究和培训将为申请人提供设计和实施纵向研究的技能，以及测量脑容量的立体估计方法的宝贵技术。完成该奖项后，申请人将具备设计、获得资金和实施原创性研究的必要技能，以了解老年人认知功能中重要的生物学机制。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This career development application proposes an integrated research and training plan to develop expertise in assessing mild cognitive impairment and measuring brain structures, particularly the hippocampus, in older adults. The specific aims of the application are to determine whether vitamin D deficiency is related to worse cognitive performance, depressive symptoms and/or decreased hippocampal volumes. The long-term objectives are to provide training and education to facilitate the applicant's transition to an independent patient-oriented investigator. The proposed research and training will provide the applicant with skills in designing and implementing longitudinal studies and with valuable techniques in stereological estimation methods to measure brain volumes. Upon completion of the award, the applicant will have the necessary skills to design, obtain funding, and implement original research studies to understand biologic mechanisms important in cognitive function in older adults. As Alzheimer's disease continues to be a major medical and social challenge, research in this field increasingly focuses on detecting the very earliest signs of cognitive impairment. As many investigate approaches to diagnose and prevent mild cognitive impairment in older adults, the relationship between depressive symptoms and mild cognitive impairment has been less studied. Recent data find an association between depression and very mild cognitive impairment. The combination of cognitive and depression increases the likelihood of institutionalization, increases caregiver burden and decreases survival. It is therefore important to identify risk factors that may affect both cognition and mood. One potential risk factor is vitamin D deficiency, which is associated with falls and fractures, affective disorders, and also has roles in neuroprotection and brain development. Vitamin D is a potent inducer of nerve growth factor and in animal studies has reversed brain injury due to various insults. Although more than half of older adults have vitamin D deficiency, few are treated. This is partly due to the lack of data supporting a role for vitamin D in nonbone related disorders. This application will investigate important relationships between vitamin D deficiency, cognitive function and mood all of which result in excess disability in the elderly.