Grant: Sleep and Circadian Rhythms - Team - LOI

The tragedy of growing old is not the burden of accumulated years or the imminence of death, but rather the host of senescent changes that degrade all physiological systems. One of the most significant pathologies that affect the elderly are deficits in the delivery of oxygen to the brain. When sleep apnea and other breathing disorders occur, there is a substantial additional decrease in oxygenation in numerous brain areas. Among the most susceptible brain areas to develop adverse responses under anoxic conditions is the hippocampus, which is responsible for cognitive functions as well as memory and learning. There are also deficits in motor functions and the processing of sensory information. A Team approach will be undertaken to determine the mechanisms that give rise to the deficits in cognitive, sensory and motor functions that occur as a result of sleep-related breathing disorders in the elderly. In addition, studies will be conducted to establish a foundation for the generation of rational therapeutics to treat the cognitive and sensory and motor pathologies in the aged that occur due to sleep-related breathing disorders.