Date of Award

Spring 5-2024

Author's School

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Author's Department

Psychology

Degree Name

Master of Arts (AM/MA)

Degree Type

Thesis

Abstract

Prior work has shown that higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are associated with better brain health and cognitive function. There is also evidence that BDNF is present in cardiovascular tissue and that it may be beneficial for cardiovascular function. This is evidenced by higher BDNF being associated with lower incidence of coronary heart disease and mortality, and with lower incidence of cardiovascular risk factors. The goal of the current study was to investigate the relationship between BDNF and cardiovascular function, and to assess whether there is a mediating or moderating role of cardiovascular health in the relationship between BDNF and brain and cognitive outcomes. We examined longitudinal data from 397 older adults enrolled in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative with available plasma BDNF along with medical, imaging, and cognitive assessments. We used path analysis and linear regression to estimate the mediating and moderating roles of two measures of cardiovascular health, the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and pulse pressure, in the relationships between BDNF and longitudinal changes in brain structure and cognitive function. Analyses revealed that there was no significant association of plasma BDNF with FRS or pulse pressure, preventing us from performing mediation analyses. Additionally, analyses did not show consistent associations between BDNF and longitudinal change in brain structural or cognitive measures. Finally, FRS and pulse pressure were not consistently associated with brain structural or cognitive outcomes. These results suggest that cardiovascular health may not play an important role in BDNF’s influence on brain health. Future work is needed to resolve inconsistencies in the literature regarding effects of BDNF on both cardiovascular and brain health in older adults.

Language

English (en)

Chair and Committee

Denise Head

Committee Members

Brian Gordon Joshua Jackson

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