Impact of Age on Brain and Cognition in Normative and Pathological States, Marc Zempare, Neuroscience Graduate Student, University of Arizona

Abstract: Aging is associated with progressive changes in brain structure and function that influence cognitive performance, even in the absence of overt disease. In normative aging, gradual declines in spatial reference memory and executive function are accompanied by region-specific alterations in gray and white matter integrity. However, these changes can be exacerbated or accelerated by pathological states, including hypertension and progressive deposition of neurotoxic amyloid beta and tauopathy leading to Alzheimer’s disease, which differentially impact neural systems and cognitive trajectories. This study investigates distinct and overlapping mechanisms through which normative aging, vascular pathology, and neurodegeneration shape brain integrity and cognition.