Linda Chao, PhD
Assistant Research Scientist, Radiology Service, SFVAMC
Associate Adjunct Professor of Radiology and Psychiatry, UCSF
Email: linda.chao@radiology.ucsf.edu
Searching for Early Signs of Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease
Over four million people in the United States have Alzheimer's disease. Although no medication slows the progression of the disease, a number of potential treatments are under development. Dr. Chao has been using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to find signs that will help identify who may be at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease so that once an effective treatment does become available, we will know who should be treated. Dr. Chao has been carrying out several investigations to better understand the changes in the brain that occur with normal and abnormal aging. She has been using volumetric MRI as well as a new MRI technique called arterial spin labeling MRI to measure brain blood flow in the brains of cognitively impaired but non-demented older adults, cognitively normal older adults, and patients with Alzheimer's disease. She has also been examining the relationship between blood flow and performance on neuropsychological tests.
Chao LL, Schuff N, Clevenger EM, Mueller SG, Rosen HJ, Gorno-Tempini ML, Kramer JH, Miller BL, Weiner MW. 2007. Patterns of white matter atrophy in frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Arch Neurol 64(11):1619-24.
Chao LL, Mueller SG, Buckley ST, Peek K, Raptentsetseng S, Elman J, Yaffe K, Miller BL, Kramer JH, Madison C, Mungas D, Schuff N, Weiner MW. 2008. Evidence of neurodegeneration in brains of older adults who do not yet fulfill MCI criteria. Neurobiol Aging (Epub ahead of print).
