The broad and long-term goals of this proposal are to form a significant knowledge-base surrounding the role aged astrocytes in the propogation of neurodegenerative sequelae after TBI. TBI in the aged population represents a significant unmet healthcare challenge, as advanced aging is the greatest risk factor for acquiring a TBI, and subsequently developing neurodegenerative disease such as dementia, Alzheimer?s- and Parkinson?s disease. Cumulatively, the research design takes advantage of specific inflammatory hallmarks and functional modulators associated with dystrophic astrocytes, in an attempt to delineate their respective contributions to neuronal pathology and cognitive dysfunction. Ultimately, we will determine if harnessing astrocytes via novel AAV constructs in aged TBI models is associated with improving neuronal and cognitive outcome measures.
Aging represents a significant healthcare challenge with respect to incidence and functional recovery from TBI. Currently little knowledge exists regarding the role of inflammation in the propagation of diminished functional recovery in aged-TBI models. The salient findings from this project will significantly contribute to fundamental the fundamental knowledge-base of the role of inflammation and aging as determinants of outcome following TBI.
