Sandra Black, M.D.
Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Sciences Centre
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2003 Investigator-Initiated Research Grant

Cerebrovascular disease is a group of disorders, including stroke, that are associated with a disruption of the blood supply in the brain. The risk for both Alzheimer’s disease and cerebrovascular disease increase with age, the disorders may share common risk factors, and they frequently occur together. When these disorders are combined, they may accelerate the onset and progression of dementia, but exactly how they interact remains unclear.

Vascular disease in the subcortical region (below the outer layer of the brain) is known to cause problems in such abilities as planning and judgment, cognitive skills that are classified as executive function.

This research group will recruit 50 people with Alzheimer’s disease and cerebrovascular disease, 50 with Alzheimer’s disease only, and 50 participants with no cognitive impairment. The participants will be assessed for levels of executive function and will undergo a series of brain imaging exams that provide information about subcortical volume, blood flow, and lesions (evidence of stroke or other vascular problems). The researchers will correlate deficits in different executive functions with the amount and location of lesions and changes in brain volume. This project may yield important basic information on variation and progression of Alzheimer symptoms and the relationship between Alzheimer’s disease and cerebrovascular disease.