Aging is a major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases (ND) such as Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia. In Chile, population aging is particularly concerning, with an increasing life expectancy that raises the proportion of people over 60. The incidence of ND is expected to double in the next 20 years, making it one of the leading causes of death among the elderly.
This project proposes to study modifiable risk factors, such as social determinants of health (SDH) and cardiovascular health (CVH), which impact cognitive decline and ND. The plan is to develop data- and model-driven approaches to characterize neurovascular pathways in aging and ND, combining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) neuroimaging and computational models to identify specific biomarkers of pathological aging and ND, linked to CVH and predictive of cognitive decline.
PIs: Enzo Tagliazucchi & Josefina Cruzat
Support: ANID/Fondecyt Exploración
