New thesis on brain heterogeneity within aging
Hi Giulia Lorenzon, doctoral student at the division of clinical geriatrics. On December 18 yu will defend your thesis ”Brain heterogeneity within aging and cognitive impairment : implications for precision medicine and prevention”. What is the main focus of the thesis?
”The main focus of my thesis is to investigate brain heterogeneity in “normal” aging, how it is influenced by lifestyle risk factors, and how this variability affects the response to different treatments.”
Which are the most important results?
”While it's known that Alzheimer’s Disease and other neurodegenerative conditions display various brain patterns, here we discovered that different brain patterns exist in healthy, at-risk, and mildly impaired elderly populations as well. We also found that cerebrovascular and cardiometabolic health significantly affect brain function and cognition, and these differences play a major role in determining treatment efficacy.”
How can this new knowledge contribute to the improvement of people’s health?
”Firstly, acknowledging brain heterogeneity in research can reduce the failure rates of clinical trials, overcoming some of the barriers to effective drugs development. Secondly, demonstrating the influence of modifiable risk and protective factors on brain health can encourage healthier lifestyle choices. Lastly, better individual profiling is crucial for advancing personalized treatment and prevention strategies.”
What’s in the future for you? Will you continue to conduct research?
”Yes, I want to continue doing research while also integrating it with clinical practice.”