We are interested in examining changes in cardiac hemodynamics with age and the relationship to cerebral blood flow and distribution. Hemodynamic information from velocity encoded MR imaging can be combined with quantitative brain imaging to determine the prognostic significance for structural and microstructural brain changes, including atrophy and volume loss in specific regions of interest. This approach can be used to evaluate subtle, clinically silent changes that occur in the brain in association with factors such as hypertension and cerebral small vessel disease and to determine the impact on brain network organization. This approach has considerable potential to yield new insights concerning how vascular factors influence individual differences in neurological outcomes in older adults and the shared role in age-related neurological disorders.

Primary contact: Susanne Schnell (PhD)
Investigators: Susanne Schnell (PhD), Mark Höller (PhD), TBC
Collaborations: Northwestern University (Ann Ragin, Maria Aristova)