<pre><FONT COLOR = BLACK>
<B>Cognitive trajectory changes in African American Veterans with PSTD
 </B>
   Lead Investigator:    Gail Li
   Institution      :    VA Puget Sound and University of Washington
   E-Mail           :    gli@uw.edu
   Proposal ID      :    879
</FONT>
<BR>
   Proposal Description:
   <textarea name="description" rows="12" cols="85" wrap="virtual" readonly>Significance: PTSD is increasingly considered a risk factor for dementia, and     older individuals with chronic PTSD are at higher risk for developing dementia.   Many elderly Veterans with chronic PTSD complain of impaired cognitive            functioning but long term change of cognition remained unknown. We propose a      retrospective cohort study of the longitudinal pattern of cognitive deficits      measured longitudinally in non-demented African American Vietnam Veterans with    PTSD (N=26) recruited at the University of Washington Alzheimer???s Disease       Research Center in Seattle, WA. We will select a control group of non-demented    age- and education-matched African Americans without PTSD from national NACC      database. The specific aims are:                                                  1. To examine effect PTSD have on cognition at baseline and on cognitive          changes in an aging African American cohort. Hypothesis: African Americans        Vietnam Veterans with PTSD will have worse performance on cognitive tests at      baseline and have greater decline over time compared to matched controls          without PTSD.                                                                     2. To characterize cognitive profile and trajectory changes patterns that may     be unique in PTSD patients. Hypothesis: PTSD participants will demonstrate        distinct impairment patterns not present in the control group.                    3. To explore the effect of medical and psychiatric comorbidities in PTSD         participants on cognitive impairment. Hypothesis:  Medical and psychiatric        comorbidities, such as alcohol use disorder, will be more common in PTSD          patients, and will have an additive negative effect on cognition in combination   with PTSD not seen in controls.                                                   Expected Impact: The results of this study will contribute to our understanding   of the effect of PTSD on cogniti </textarea>