Developing stochastic model of cognitive function in elderly persons

Cognitive function changes as people age, and for the most part, these changes are not for the good. Not everybody declines with the same rate; however, even people with cognitive impairment can experience different degree of decline. It is also known that a significant proportion of people can remain stable for a time or even improve. The previous statistical and analytical techniques mainly ignored these cases or considered them as diagnosis misclassifications or measurement errors, or insignificant fluctuation. In this application, the novel technique will be applied for modeling cognitive changes in all directions and at any degree. The internship will analyze all outcomes in relation to risks factors (demographic, life styles, genetics, clinical, etc.) and finally the research team will estimate the likelihood of improvement or stabilization of cognition in relation to the risks factors. This research will contribute to the understanding of cognitive impairment, its progression and how it is influenced by different factors.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Arnold Mitnitski

Student:

Nader Fallah

Partner:

Geriatric Medicine Research Unit QEll

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

Dalhousie University