Successful aging involves not only the maintenance of cognitive function, but sustained normal physical function. One measure of abnormal physical function is abnormal gait and balance (impaired mobility), an important outcome in geriatric epidemiology. Impaired mobility is associated with falls, institutionalization, incident stroke, and mortality. Some conventional vascular disease risk factors (such as physical inactivity, dyslipidemia) have been associated with impaired mobility, though less has been demonstrated regarding emerging vascular risk factors, such as inflammatory biomarkers. Serial measures of vascular disease risk factors, such as decline in physical activity, have not been used in studies examining risk of impaired mobility. Few studies on impaired mobility have included Hispanics. Subclinical neurovascular disease, defined as white matter hyperintensities and silent brain infarcts seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is associated with vascular disease risk factors and has been linked to impaired mobility. There have been few studies examining the pathway by which all three (vascular risk factors, subclinical neurovascular disease and impaired mobility) may be linked. This K23 proposal will take advantage of the existing infrastructure in the Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS), a well respected epidemiological study with a high proportion of Hispanics aimed at elucidating risk factors for vascular outcomes (stroke, myocardial infarction, vascular death). Mobility examinations will be performed on participants in the MRI sub-study who have been returning for a 5 year neuro-psychological evaluation.
Our aim i s to characterize the association between vascular disease risk factors (physical inactivity, dyslipidemia, inflammatory biomarkers) with measures of mobility (gait speed and Tinetti gait and balance scale as the primary outcomes). We will analyze whether these associations remain after including global and regional (frontal lobe versus peri-ventricular for example) measures of white matter hyperintensities and silent brain infarction is acting as mediators. In order to achieve these scientific goals I will need training in three areas: selected topics in geriatric medicine, gait and balance measures in the geriatric population, and advanced statistical and epidemiological methods. Achieving these scientific and training goals will allow me to transition into being an independently funded academic neurologist with a focus on the contributions of subclinical stroke to unsuccessful aging, as well as broaden my expertise on stroke in the geriatric population.

Public Health Relevance

Successful aging involves not only the maintenance of cognitive function, but also sustained normal physical function, of which mobility is a critical component. Multiple silent strokes to the brain may impair mobility in the elderly. The goal of this project is to better understand the role of vascular disease on impaired mobility so as to derive treatment interventions.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
Project #
5K23NS073104-02
Application #
8304918
Study Section
NST-2 Subcommittee (NST)
Program Officer
Moy, Claudia S
Project Start
2011-08-01
Project End
2016-07-31
Budget Start
2012-08-01
Budget End
2013-07-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$190,766
Indirect Cost
$14,131
Name
Columbia University (N.Y.)
Department
Neurology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
621889815
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10032
Willey, Joshua Z; Moon, Yeseon P; Dhamoon, Mandip S et al. (2018) Regional Subclinical Cerebrovascular Disease Is Associated with Balance in an Elderly Multi-Ethnic Population. Neuroepidemiology 51:57-63
Cheung, Ying Kuen; Moon, Yeseon P; Kulick, Erin R et al. (2017) Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Mortality in an Elderly Population in Northern Manhattan: A Prospective Cohort Study. J Gen Intern Med 32:168-174
Willey, Joshua Z; Moon, Yeseon P; Kulick, Erin R et al. (2017) Physical Inactivity Predicts Slow Gait Speed in an Elderly Multi-Ethnic Cohort Study: The Northern Manhattan Study. Neuroepidemiology 49:24-30
Willey, Joshua Z; Moon, Yeseon P; Sacco, Ralph L et al. (2017) Physical inactivity is a strong risk factor for stroke in the oldest old: Findings from a multi-ethnic population (the Northern Manhattan Study). Int J Stroke 12:197-200
Willey, Joshua Z; Voutsinas, Jenna; Sherzai, Ayesha et al. (2017) Trajectories in Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Risk of Stroke in Women in the California Teachers Study. Stroke 48:2346-2352
Miller, Eliza C; Willey, Joshua Z (2016) Bilateral occipital strokes from an atherosclerotic trigeminal artery. Neurology 86:489-90
Al-Mufti, Fawaz; Bauerschmidt, Andrew; Claassen, Jan et al. (2016) Neuroendovascular Interventions for Acute Ischemic Strokes in Patients Supported with Left Ventricular Assist Devices: A Single-Center Case Series and Review of the Literature. World Neurosurg 88:199-204
Willey, Joshua Z; Gardener, Hannah; Caunca, Michelle R et al. (2016) Leisure-time physical activity associates with cognitive decline: The Northern Manhattan Study. Neurology 86:1897-903
Willey, Joshua Z; Gavalas, Michael V; Trinh, Pauline N et al. (2016) Outcomes after stroke complicating left ventricular assist device. J Heart Lung Transplant 35:1003-9
Willey, Joshua Z; Boehme, Amelia K; Castagna, Francesco et al. (2016) Hypertension and Stroke in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs). Curr Hypertens Rep 18:12

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