Cognitive impairment has a serious detrimental impact on the quality of life for prostate cancer survivorstreated by androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Neuroimaging studies have shown structural and functionaldeficits in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus (Hipp), which mediate higher order cognitiveprocesses, including cognitive flexibility and spatial cognition, that are impaired after ADT. In this project, we willinvestigate mechanisms that underly the cognitive impairments we have now shown to be induced by androgendeprivation in rats.

Translating information on genetic risk for body weight regulation into molecular mechanisms can have asignificant impact on intervention and therapies. We are seeking to identify genetic variation and theirmolecular mechanisms that influences obesity through direct effects on the hypothalamus as it is the brain hubthat regulates energy homeostasis and there is now considerable evidence for genetic influence to impact thisbrain region.

Cerebral Small Vessel Disease (SVD) is an important, potentially modifiable factor for clinical dementia. Recent data suggest that the age-specific incidence of dementia may be decreasing, partly as a result of bettermanagement of vascular risk factors, lending urgency to dementia prevention trials but a major impediment isthe absence of circulating biomarkers for tracking onset and progression of SVD.

The Integrated Graduate Program in Neuroscience at UTHSCSA provides training in a range of neuroscientific research areas and approaches, from molecular, cellular, and neurochemical to systems, behavioral and clinical neuroscience.

The fastest growing demographic at risk of, and suffering from dementia, is the oldest-old, persons over age 80or 90 years. By 2030, 1 in 2 incident cases of Alzheimer dementia (AD) will likely occur in this age group. Theunderlying biology and the impact of vascular and lifestyle risk factors on risk of dementia appear to bedifferent in the young-old and oldest-old.