Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Genetic Moderators Of Cognitive Decline In The Health And Retirement Study, Shannon K. Runge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current dissertation used a gene x environment (G x E) approach to examine the independent and interactive effects of specific genetic variants and participation in physical and cognitive/social activities (PA and CSA) on cognitive performance in 4,764 participants of the Health and Retirement Study. Using three-wave data, three sets of multi-level growth models were conducted to examine baseline, longitudinal, and interactive effects of genotype (i.e., ApoE, COMT, and BDNF) and CSA/PA on performance across five cognitive measures: immediate, delayed and total word recall, and serial 7s and backwards counting.

At baseline, the ApoE ε4 allele predicted …

The Association Of Cognitive Endophenotypes And Risky Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Of Alzheimer's Disease Within The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (Adni) Database, Kyle Joseph Jennette

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) previously associated with Alzheimer's disease on specific domains of cognition, when controlling for Apolipoprotein E gene (APOE), in a sample of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Methods: The data were drawn from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database, a comprehensive, longitudinal database of controls, persons with mild cognitive impairment, and persons with mild Alzheimer's disease. Each subject has a full neuropsychological assessment, neuroimaging, genetic sequencing, and physical evaluation. For the purposes of this study, individuals were selected based on the presence of the three …

Implications Of Human Umbilical Cord Blood Cells: An Immunotherapeutic Strategy For Alzheimer's Disease, Donna Darlington

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common progressive age related dementia and the fourth major cause of mortality in the elderly in the United States. AD is pathologically characterized by deposition of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques in the brain parenchyma and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) within the neuronal soma. While pharmacological targets have been discovered, current strategies for the symptomatic or disease-modifying treatment of AD do not significantly slow or halt the underlying pathological progression of the disease. Consequently, more effective treatment is needed. One possibility for amelioration is using human umbilical cord blood cell (HUCBC) therapy. HUCBCs comprise a …