Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Cognitive impairment often develops in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Subtle changes in verbal memory can precede physical disability and progression to dementia. This is of particular concern in exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation, because these consequences are contrary to its objectives; thus, cognitive impairment prevents patients from maximizing benefit in an otherwise effective physical activity intervention. Unfortunately, cognitive impairment is underdiagnosed, because it is difficult to detect. Therefore, identification of an objective blood-borne molecule may identify cognitive impairment earlier in CAD patients when current treatments are still useful. Ceramides are fatty molecules that contribute to the concomitant progression of CAD and cognitive impairment. As this phenomenon has not been investigated in CAD patients at increased risk of developing dementia, a population in which ceramides are pathophysiologically relevant, my research focuses on the relationship between ceramides and cognitive impairment in CAD patients. I hypothesize that greater plasma C22:0 and C24:0 concentrations will correlate with greater verbal memory decline over 12 months in CAD patients. My investigation will clarify the importance of ceramides in cognitive decline associated with CAD, which is crucial in the development of ceramides as a predictive biological molecule.