Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project

How arterial “stiffness” may impair cognition

New findings from Vanderbilt neurologists suggest that cardiovascular disease may increase the spaces surrounding blood vessels in the brain and lead to cognitive decline.

Alzheimer’s risk factor and cognition

Vanderbilt researchers found that a protein with roles in innate immunity worsens memory at baseline in carriers of APOE-e4, the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, further implicating neuroinflammation in cognitive decline.

Tracking the aging brain

The macrostructure — volume, area and length — of the brain’s white matter is useful for studying aging and could be a sensitive marker for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Vanderbilt researchers reported.

Grant supports research on abnormal brain aging

With the aid of an $18.2 million, five-year grant renewal from the National Institute on Aging, the Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project (VMAP) will advance interdisciplinary research into abnormal brain aging and cognitive decline in older adults, with continuing emphasis on the role of blood flow changes in the heart and brain.