cognitive decline Archives
How arterial “stiffness” may impair cognition
Jan. 24, 2023—New findings from Vanderbilt neurologists suggest that cardiovascular disease may increase the spaces surrounding blood vessels in the brain and lead to cognitive decline.
Arterial stiffening linked to Alzheimer’s disease
Jul. 15, 2021—A research team from Vanderbilt University Medical Center reports in Neurology that greater stiffening of the aorta, the main artery in the human body, is associated in older adults with increased Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology as reflected in a range of neurochemical indicators measured in cerebrospinal fluid.
Depression and the brain-age gap
Oct. 19, 2020—Older depressed adults show accelerated brain aging, according to a new study from Vanderbilt researchers, who suggest that the effects of depression may speed the decline in cognitive functions in older individuals.
New clue to Alzheimer’s disease
Sep. 3, 2020—Combining studies of genetically diverse mouse populations and human data led to the identification of a gene associated with cognitive decline and brain changes in Alzheimer’s disease.
Grant bolsters research on subjective cognitive decline
Feb. 27, 2020—Katherine Gifford, PsyD, MS, assistant professor of Neurology, has been awarded a five-year, $4.3 million research grant from the National Institute on Aging to study what subjective cognitive decline can reveal about underlying pathology.
Small vessel disease MRI marker linked to worse cognitive health in older adults
Mar. 21, 2019—Enlarged perivascular spaces, which are commonly seen on brain MRIs in older adults, have important associations with worse cognitive performance, particularly information processing speed and executive function, according to a new study that challenges historical consideration that perivascular spaces are a harmless imaging marker.
New way to stimulate learning?
Mar. 14, 2019—Vagus nerve stimulation could be beneficial for treating Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive impairment, Vanderbilt research findings suggest.
Tool sought for doctors to quickly identify patients at risk for cognitive decline
Jun. 2, 2016—Katherine Gifford, Psy.D., is testing simple questions to see which ones yield the most reliable results as she develops a questionnaire for primary care providers to quickly identify patients at risk for cognitive decline.
