Longitudinal associations between neighborhood greenspace and brain aging in
cognitively normal older adults 
   Lead Investigator:    Lilah Besser
   Institution      :    Florida Atlantic University
   E-Mail           :    lbesser@fau.edu
   Proposal ID      :    1490



   Proposal Description:
   The study will combine archived health data on approximately 1,745 participants from three US Alzheimer?s Disease Research Centers, a mailed questionnaire, and four greenspace measures (perceived greenspace, normalized difference vegetation index, distance to nearest park, percent park space in neighborhood) derived from the questionnaire and publicly available satellite imagery and park data. The overarching hypothesis is that living in neighborhoods with greater vegetation and better access to parks in early, mid, and late-life will be associated with slower rates of cognitive decline and less brain atrophy in cognitively normal older adults, and associations will vary by individual level characteristics. The specific aims:     Aim 1: Establish if living in neighborhoods with greater greenspace in early, mid, and late-life is associated in late-life with slower cognitive decline, greater hippocampal volume, and less white matter hyperintensities.     Aim 2: Determine if, in late-life, living in neighborhoods with five and ten-year increases in vegetation is associated with slower cognitive decline, greater hippocampal volume, and less white matter hyperintensities.     Aim 3: Evaluate whether the greenspace-brain aging associations are modified by sex, race, apolipoprotein E genotype (APOE genetic risk factor for Alzheimer?s disease), and geographic region.