Approved Research

Risk factors, mechanisms, presentation and prognosis in stroke and Alzheimer's disease

Lay summary

Stroke is caused by poor brain's blood supply due to a bleeding or a clot leading to brain tissue damage or death. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. However, vascular risk factors, have been traditionally associated with the occurrence of stroke, also play an important role in the onset and worsened course of Alzheimer's disease. Ischemic imaging findings may also be predictors of Alzheimer's disease. These two kinds of diseases are likely to be caused by a combination of genetic and non-genetic lifestyle and environmental exposures, with individually effects and complex interactions.

The aims of this proposal are to:  (1) To investigate the shared and special risk factors of stoke and Alzheimer's disease, and explore potential mechanisms of gene polymorphism and risk factors;  (2) To investigate the association of risk factors and early brain imaging lesions, as well as explore the potential value of early brain imaging lesions in forecasting and preventing diseases.

The resulting improved understanding of the mechanisms of stroke and Alzheimer's disease will enable better use of existing risk factor prevention and treatment strategies and lay the groundwork for the discovery of new interventions, benefiting the prevention and treatment of stroke and Alzheimer's disease.

The duration of this project will be three years, from 2022 to 2025.