Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Cognitive Processes in Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders

Changes in cognition are associated with aging and with neurodegenerative disorders. Our work is focused on understanding the cognitive and brain changes associated with aging and those that characterize the most common neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. The goal is to use this information to improve early diagnosis and the design of clinical trials, so that early and effective treatments can be implemented in patients. Much of this work relies on the use of biomarkers, including those derived from cerebrospinal fluid, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography, as well as genetics. We have shown that a subset of these measures taken alone, or in combination, can be used to predict which individuals with normal cognition are likely to progress to mild cognitive impairment and dementia. We are also actively involved in the development of new biomarkers that might improve our understanding of disease mechanisms, as well as prediction. In addition, we are engaged in examining lifestyle factors that may reduce risk of cognitive decline in older persons.