Mechanisms of Impaired Brain Blood Flow With Aging

Aging is the primary risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is a rapidly growing public health concern. Understanding the mechanisms of normal brain aging may provide insight into the factors linking advancing age to increased risk for AD and thereby lead to new therapeutic targets for preventing or slowing AD progression. Cardiovascular changes, including impaired cerebrovascular function, occur with aging and may increase risk for AD; however, the mechanisms by which cerebrovascular function becomes impaired in older adults are incompletely understood. The overall goal of this project is to examine potential mechanisms of age-related declines in cerebrovascular function in humans. The investigators hypothesize that brain macro-vascular endothelial dysfunction, secondary to oxidative stress, plays an important role in mediating age-related changes in brain blood flow and cerebrovascular reactivity. The results of this pilot study have the potential to identify novel targets of cerebrovascular aging and will help guide the design of future clinical trials aimed at improving cerebral blood flow in older adults.