Sandra Billinger, PT, PhD, FAHA
Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science & Athletic Training and Department of Neurology; Assistant Director, Imaging Core, KU Alzheimer’s Disease Center
University of Kansas Medical Center
“Dynamic Cerebrovascular Response During an Acute Exercise Bout in Preclinical AD”
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common clinical dementia diagnosis. However, the interest in mixed pathology and vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) has started gaining significant traction within the scientific and medical communities. Vascular pathology (cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke) is often present when patients start showing signs of dementia/cognitive impairment. Dr. Billinger and her research team have a strong interest in the vascular contributions including stroke to dementia. Our recent work continues to highlight that a physiological stimulus such as exercise has revealed unique differences in pre-clinical AD such that those with elevated beta-amyloid have a reduced cerebrovascular response during an acute exercise bout. The reduced cerebrovascular response has also been associated with reduced performance on cognitive tests such as executive function in otherwise healthy, non-demented older adults. Since VCID spans multiple clinical diagnoses including cardiovascular disease and stroke and the mixed pathology to AD, Dr. Billinger and her team are currently exploring whether the cerebrovascular response to an acute bout of exercise could be a biomarker of brain health similar to a stress test to heart health. In this seminar, Dr. Billinger will describe the innovative methodology developed for cerebrovascular kinetics modeling, the potential as a brain health biomarker and the cerebrovascular response within other clinical populations such as stroke and kidney transplant who are also at risk for VCID.
Friday, November 5, 2021, 11:00AM-12:00PM, RES-100
University of North Texas Health Science Center
Fort Worth, Texas
https://unthsc.zoom.us/j/87277949672?pwd=THZWaHFwNU9XcEtUdFZOSUtySmY1dz09