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Access Type
WSU Access
Date of Award
January 2011
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Naftali Raz
Abstract
Vascular risk factors may play important roles in modifying the trajectories of brain and cognitive aging. It is unknown whether MetS related risk factor is associated with WMH volume and related cognitive functions in healthy adults and whether WMH burden mediate the relationship between MetS and selected cognitive functions. 161 middle aged and old healthy adults participated in this study. Regional WMH were measured manually. Using Structural Equation Modeling approach, we found that normal variation in MetS risk factor did not contribute to declined cognitive performance in healthy middle aged and old adults, although MetS risk factor may play a role in increased temporal WMH burden. Deep WMH volume predicted impaired executive function and episodic memory. Future studies with large sample size and longitudinal design are needed to tease apart the potential confounding factors and to gauge the true relationship between MetS risk factor and age-related brain and cognitive change.
Recommended Citation
Yang, Yiqin, "The role of metabolic risk factors and white matter alterations in cognitive aging" (2011). Wayne State University Theses. 101.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_theses/101