Variables affecting risk of dementia

Started June 28, 2021

Abstract or project description

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are sudden injuries that cause damage to the brain. These have been associated with dementia, which refers to impaired memory, judgment, and cognitive abilities. TBIs have also been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, which is similarly characterized by cognitive impairments, as well as a variety of neuropathological markers such as amyloid-beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in specific areas of the brain. However, how specific TBI pathology affects the risk of developing dementia is not fully understood. For example, the roles of age of injury, loss of consciousness duration, and quantity of TBIs in neurodegenerative disorder development have yet to be determined. In this study, we will measure the relationship between the concentration of several biomarkers associated with neurodegenerative disorders and neuronal development in the hippocampus (HIP), frontal white matter (FWM), parietal cortex (PCx), and the temporal cortex (TCx) with subject demographic information. We will be performing statistical and correlational analyses on our subject demographic information and various biomarkers to investigate if our observed differences are brain-region specific.