Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Stroke and dementia are two of the leading causes of death in Canada, affecting more than 1.5 million people and costing over 13 billion dollars annually. As the prevalence, for both diseases, increases with age and with more elderly versus younger Canadians, the percentage of the population effected is expected to increase. Although two distinctly different diseases, stroke affects blood vessels and dementia is degeneration of neurons, stroke survivors are twice as likely to develop dementia compared to healthy individuals. Studies suggests that after stroke, changes to brain blood vessels play a crucial role in initiating and/or contributing to dementia, and in particular Alzheimer's disease. As silent strokes do not exhibit recognizable symptoms, patients are usually unaware of the occurrence. It is estimated that 31% of adults over the age of 65 have had at least 1 silent stroke. Moreover, as the age of prominence for silent strokes overlaps with the 10-15 year presymptomatic period where Alzheimer's disease develops, there lies a significant importance for investigating the interaction between these two diseases. The first objective of my study is to examine behavioral changes in rats that have received a stroke and subsequently exhibit Alzheimer's disease. Behavioral tests conducted before stroke, after stroke recovery, and after Alzheimer's disease development will allow for analysis of severity and time-dependent memory, locomotion and activities of daily living deficits. The second objective is to examine common pathways involved in the progression of dementia in the brain. By examining plaque levels, the activation of protective brain cells and vessel-related changes from the rat brain tissue, this will allow me to determine the effective impact of silent strokes on dementia progression. Overall, the results of this study will help to provide conclusive evidence on the effects and impact of silent strokes on the development of Alzheimer's disease.