Association between Blood-Brain Barrier Braekdown and Brain Microstructure in Mild Cognitive Impairment
In the proposed research, Dr. Emilie Reas will examine whether the blood-brain barrier (BBB) breaks down in the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and how BBB permeability changes over the course of AD. The BBB filters toxins and other substances between the blood and the brain and, while there are hints the BBB breaks down with aging and dementia, it is still unclear how and if the damaged BBB causes dementia. This study seeks to identify the BBB breakdown as an early-stage biomarker for age-related cognitive impairment. If they are able to identify this BBB damage as a biomarker for the earliest disease stages, detection of cognitive impairment could occur earlier and treatments could be administered when they would be most effective.