Predictors of Functional Independence in Healthy Aging and Age-related Disease:
  
   Lead Investigator:    Thomas Kiely
   Institution      :    Ray Dolby Brain Health Center/CPMC
   E-Mail           :    kielyt1@sutterhealth.org
   Proposal ID      :    748



   Proposal Description:
   Functional independence is one of the most important factors to investigate in    older adults. In addition to a diminished quality of life, increased dependence   with activities of daily living carries a significant financial burden to the     individual and society. It is unclear which cognitive measures best predict       functional decline, and if this relationship between cognition and daily          functioning differs across diseases (e.g. Alzheimer???s disease,                  cerebrovascular disease, Parkinson???s disease, frontotemporal dementia).         Although cognitive impairment is one of the most important factors impacting      functional independence, there is not a perfect relationship between a            patient???s neuropsychological results and their functional status. In addition   to cognition, multiple variables can contribute to an individual???s functional   ability including neuropsychiatric symptoms, sensory abilities, health            conditions, perceived cognitive ability, and social engagement. If we can         better characterize which factors contribute to functional change, we may be      able to intervene to attenuate or delay this decline preserving functional        independence, even in the short-term, has significant economic consequences and   may improve quality of life.