Life course psychosocial factors and early signs of Alzheimer´s Disease and Related Dementias

This project aims to answer the following questions: (1) Can early life adversities (ELA) predict later life early signs of Alzheimer´s disease and related dementia (ADRD) (cognitive decline, brain structure and function changes), and whether childhood cognitive ability and genetic predisposition interact with ELA to influence early signs of ADRD? (2) What are the relative contributions of mid- and late life psychosocial and lifestyle factors in the associations of ELA with early signs of ADRD? (3) What are the underlying mechanisms linking life course psychosocial and lifestyle factors to early signs of ADRD.The project will be carried out by a research team consisting of applicants, a PhD student (4-year), a postdoc (2-year) and a researcher (20%, 5-year) over a 5-year period (2024-2028).

The team will utilize available data from two large cohorts with measures of life-course exposures and cognitive data, as well as two brain imaging datasets, one with MRI scanned twice.Because pathophysiological process of ADRD begins many years before the diagnosis, identify their early signs will provide a critical opportunity for prevention.

Early research found that life course psychosocial and lifestyle factors influence the risk of ADRD.

Identification of the risk factors that predict early signs of ADRD and the underlying mechanisms may lead to the identification and development of effective personalized preventive strategies that can protect against cognitive dysfunction.