Neurovascular contributions to dementia
Neurovascular contributions to dementia
Theme: Ageing and dementia
Monday 24th April, 09:30 – 11:10
Session convened by The Physiological Society.
Alzheimer's disease is increasingly appreciated to be both a neurological and neurovascular condition. Early alterations in cerebral blood flow precede accumulation of beta-amyloid, neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. Understanding why and how neurovascular dysfunction emerges and how it leads to Alzheimer's disease will be vital for uncovering the mechanisms that mediate the progression to dementia, and to suggest new potential treatment strategies. Edith Hamel is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a group leader at McGill University. Her research involves the use of various brain imaging techniques to record the mechanisms of local cerebral perfusion and its alterations in the presence of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Axel Montagne is a Chancellor's fellow at the University of Edinburgh. Axel is well-known for his high impact research on the vascular contribution to dementia in humans and animal models. As a group leader, he is investigating the link between BBB and pericyte-endothelial cell cross-talk, with particular focus on the consequences of pericyte dysfunction on endothelial cells and BBB integrity. Silvia Anderle is a PhD student at the University of Sussex. During her PhD studies, Silvia looks at the effect of having two copies of the APOE4 gene, the most common genetic risk factor for late-onset AD, on neurovascular coupling in mice prior and following the onset of Alzheimer's disease. She uses in vivo imaging techniques to record neuronal activity and vascular function. Beth Eyre is a PhD student at the University of Sheffield investigating cognitive and neurovascular function in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease and in a mixed model o Alzheimer's and atherosclerosis. She looked at the effects of amyloid beta plaques, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, on neurovascular coupling and how impaired vascular function impacts the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease.
- Silvia Anderle, University of Sussex, UK: APOE genotype and amyloid-β interactions in the emergence of AD pathology (co-chair)
- Beth Eyre, University of Sheffield, UK: Investigating the effects of atherosclerosis in an Alzheimer's disease model (co-chair)
- Axel Montagne, University of Edinburgh, UK: Loss of Endothelial-Pericyte Crosstalk: A Major Driving Force in Dementia Pathology
- Edith Hamel, McGill University, Canada: Brain endothelial cell dysfunction, white matter alterations and cognitive deficits