Undergraduate student Lena Law was one of eight UW-Madison undergraduate students chosen by the Office of the Provost to present at 14th Annual UW System Research in the Rotunda in the Wisconsin State Capitol on April 12, 2017. She discussed research that identified a link between heart function and brain health in adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

At Research in the Rotunda, outstanding undergraduate student researchers from across the University of Wisconsin System, together with their faculty advisers, filled the Capitol to share their research findings on a variety of important topics with legislators, state leaders, UW alumni, and other supporters. 

Ms. Law is mentored by Ozioma Okonkwo, PhD, assistant professor, Geriatrics and Gerontology. Together with colleagues from the Okonkwo laboratory, she conducted a study to determine the connection between cardiovascular function and cognitive performance in late-middle-aged adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. 

The study, which was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, involved 90 participants from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP). Study participants completed exercise tests, and researchers assessed two measures of cardiovascular function: chronotropic response (the ability of the heart to adequately respond to increased activity), and heart rate recovery. Participants also completed a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment to test different aspects of memory, learning, and cognitive speed and flexibility. 

Researchers found that there were significant associations between chronotropic response and cognitive performance in the areas of immediate memory, verbal learning and memory, and cognitive flexibility; people with higher chronotropic response also had better cognitive performance. There was no association between heart rate recovery and cognitive function. The investigators suggest that the link between chronotropic response and cognition may be due to structural brain changes that affect both brain and cardiac function, raising the possibility that protecting vascular health could also help prevent or slow cognitive decline due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Resources:

• Law LL, Schultz SA, Boots EA, Einerson JA, Dougherty RJ, Oh JM, Korcarz CE, Edwards DF, Koscik RL, Dowling NM, Gallagher CL, Bendlin BB, Carlsson CM, Asthana S, Hermann BP, Sager MA, Johnson SC, Cook DB, Stein JH, Okonkwo OC. 2017. Chronotropic Response and Cognitive Function in a Cohort at Risk for Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 56(1):351-359.
• “14th Annual Research in the Rotunda: Showcasing the Work of UW Undergraduates,” University of Wisconsin System, April 12, 2017