Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, affecting nearly 50% of Canadians over 80 years of age. There is a crucial need to identify individuals who will develop AD, as these individuals would be good candidates for clinical intervention. Although the causes of AD are still debated, many researchers have identified the accumulation of a protein called beta-amyloid as a key characteristic of AD. However, abnormal accumulation of this protein has been observed in 20% of cognitively intact older adults, suggesting that other factors work synergistically with this protein to promote AD onset. The goal of this project is to determine the interaction between beta-amyloid deposition, vascular diseases (i.e., hypertension, diabetes, vascular brain lesions) and genetic factors. We also aim to assess the impact of those factors on cognition (particularly memory). Finally, we aim to determine whether beta-amyloid deposition, alone or combined with vascular and/or genetic factors, can be a useful diagnostic tool for AD. Based on the literature, we hypothesize that the presence of vascular and genetic burdens will modulate the impact of beta-amyloid deposition on cognition. Furthermore, we believe that considering vascular and genetic factors will increase the sensitivity of amyloid imaging to detect individuals who will eventually progress to AD. This project will use data from a longitudinal study of 110 participants. The findings will contribute to our understanding of the impact of beta-amyloid deposition on cognition, as well as the interactions between vascular diseases, genetics and beta-amyloid deposition.