A growing consensus in the field of dementia research is that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) starts long before, perhaps decades before, the manifestation of its cognitive phenotype. Further, recent research suggests that reduction in accumulation of abnormal proteins characteristic of AD does not change cognition in early AD. Hence, some investigators believe that intervention must take place before cognitive symptoms occur and prevention is becoming an emphasis.

To foster development of prevention strategies, the dementia field is moving toward discovery of biomarkers that predict the emergence of AD in cognitively normal older adults and define the cascade of biological events leading to it. Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy technologies are being applied in the search for cerebrovascular, biochemical, and structural biomarkers to predict AD.

As a result of this biomarker search, some of the variance in aging-related biological and cognitive processes is being explained. The resulting rapid evolution of imaging and other biomarkers for AD may revolutionize cognitive aging research. This presentation will focus on promising neuroimaging biomarkers and their implications.

About the Speaker
Bruce Crosson is Professor of Neurology in Emory School of Medicine and Veterans Association Senior Research Career Scientist. He received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Texas Tech University in 1978. He has studied language and aphasia for over 30 years.

His work in subcortical structures in language has been internationally recognized since the 1980's. Over the past 15 years, he and his laboratory have been involved in imaging the neural substrates of language and semantics using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

About the Optimal Aging Initiative
The colloquium is part of the Optimal Aging Initiative of the School of Psychology at Georgia Tech. The initiative  seeks to foster knowledge-sharing and collaboration in translating  research on the effects of aging into evidence-based ways to support the quality of life and competence of older adults.

Reception to follow in Peachtree Room, Student Center