Approved Research

Effects of environmental and behavioural factors on the development of aging brain via multi-modal imaging

Lay summary

"Typical aging" mainly includes healthy aging, non-dementia aging and successful aging. There are different degrees of aging are closely related to a series of events during middle age to old, such as genes, environment and lifestyles. At a same time, different degrees of typical aging process will bring heterogeneity of brain structure and function, which further affects the cognitive levels. In our research, multi-mode MRI will be used to establish a model in combination with the behavior, gene, and cognitive scales of typical aging of different degrees, then to explore the influence of these factors on the development trajectory of brain aging.

The specific research contents and scientific rationales as follows: (1) the machine learning method, combined with multi-modal MRI, is used to obtain the typical brain aging heterogeneous development trajectory; (2) Predict cognitive abilities in different areas using deep learning method based on neuroimaging.  (3) A set of statistical model will be established based on  environmental and behavioural factors, so as to characterize their relationship with heterogeneity of brain aging.

The results of our study can  identify putative mechanisms that contribute positive brain aging; and to highlight future directions for scientists and clinicians

Project duration: We plan to carry on this project for three years (2021.1-2023.12.)