New research at UON’s Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory
(FNL) has been featured in the latest issue of Research Australia’s online
magazine, which showcases health and medical research (Insight, 2017, Issue 4,
p. 14-15).
Dr Todd Jolly’s PhD research indicates that the effects of
cardiovascular health on cognition may be greater than the effects of age per
se. This work was performed under the supervision of Associate Professor Frini
Karayanidis within UON’s Priority Research Centre for Stroke and Brain Injury.
The findings suggest the relationship between age and cognitive decline could
be explained by brain white matter health. Moreover, older people who reported
one or more cardiovascular risk factors show greater decline in brain white
matter health and cognition than older adults with no risk factors. This work
has implications for prevention of cognitive decline and theories of cognitive
ageing.
