Cognitive performance in patients with coronary artery disease undertaking exercise: imaging the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor

Patients with coronary artery disease often present clinically with a cluster of vascular risk factors, which predispose them to stroke and can cause subtle deficits in cognitive performance. These deficits are believed to pertain, in part, to disease of the small blood vessels providing blood to the brain. Fitness is associated with better cognitive performance, but it is unclear if fitness interacts with small vessel disease and what the biological mechanisms might be. This project will test cognitive performance in patients with coronary artery disease, utilizing magnetic resonance imaging to quantify small vessel disease. In addition, we will investigate possible effects of a variant in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene to understand how this gene fits into the mechanism of cognitive resilience to small vessel disease. This project will advance two key foci of the Centre for Stroke Recovery; exercise and small vessel disease in the patients of the Toronto……………….

Faculty Supervisor:

Krista Lanctôt

Student:

Partner:

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (ON);University of Toronto (Toronto Rehabilitation Institute)

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

University of Toronto

Program: