Neural Signatures for Precision Rehabilitation in Stroke and Aging
Abstract
The current growth of the population ages 65 and older is unprecedented. The number of these individuals is projected to nearly double by 2060 with the age group’s share of total population rising from 16 to 23 percent. With the growing number of older adults, there is also an increase in the demands of the public health system. Chronic noncommunicable diseases associated with age are on the rise, such as dementia, cardiovascular diseases including stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Therefore, the study of these conditions is critically important, not only because these diseases cause a significant loss of function, but also to reduce the burden on the caregiving and healthcare systems. The aim of this thesis is to explore neural signatures of stroke and aging related conditions for the development of precision interventions and treatments. The research on stroke includes early data of a pilot clinical trial on the use of a novel precision rehabilitation technique for improving upper extremity motor function post stroke, as well as research on cortical reorganization in the somatosensory area post stroke. The work on aging investigates sex-specific functional connectivity biomarkers in both the prodromal stage of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), i.e., mild cognitive impairment, and AD. Beyond this thesis, the relationship between stroke and AD will be explored as our future work.
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