Testing theoretical models of age and disease related changes to inform prevention

It is increasingly recognised that ageing is a lifelong process. Pathological brain changes become detectable from the fourth decade of life or earlier and have subtle impacts on cognition in mid-life yet little is known about their origin, progress, and impact. This project will investigate longitudinal variation in cerebral structure and cognition from mid-life to old-age and test theoretical models of age- and disease-related change. Novel approaches for characterising normal brain structure and identifying individuals at risk will be developed. Findings will inform the development of interventions to minimise the risk of brain ageing in the population and will inform policy.