The overarching goal of this project is to rigorously characterize the longitudinal relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF)—a physiological indicator for habitual physical activity—and the biomarker and cognitive features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in 150 at-risk, middle-aged adults enrolled in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP) and the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (WADRC); and further assess vascular and glucoregulatory function as potential mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of CRF.
This project represents a seminal effort to rigorously evaluate the impact of aerobic fitness on trajectories of AD biomarkers and cognition. By focusing on midlife and studying individuals with rich longitudinal characterization, the project affords a unique long-term platform to critically evaluate the role of aerobic fitness in AD prevention. Therefore, it is directly responsive to NAPA’s preeminent mandate: the identification of strategies to prevent and effectively treat AD by 2025. All subjects in this study will undergo MRI imaging.
(LIFE) Longitudinal Impact of Fitness and Exercise
This project was funded by: NIH
The term of this project was: March 2022 to November 2023
The number of subjects scanned during this project was: 150