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Scientific Lectures //

Cognition in Parkinson’s and Lewy Body Dementias

Who: Sephira Ryman, PhD, Research Fellow, Pacific Udall Center, Department of Neurology & Neurological Science, Stanford University
When: Friday, August 23, 2019 at 9:00am
Where: MRN's Large Conference Room
(Pete and Nancy Domenici Hall - 1101 Yale Blvd NE)

ABSTRACT: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and Lewy Body Dementias are clinical syndromes that reflect neural dysfunction driven by the accumulation of misfolded alpha synuclein and, in the case of Lewy body dementias, heterogenous neuropathology. Cognitive dysfunction varies based on the progression of underlying neuropathology, but can impair activities of daily living even at the early stages of the disorder. As the field has begun to investigate the use of biomarkers to better capture neuropathological status, there is an enormous opportunity to better understand the clinical presentation and progression of cognitive dysfunction in these diseases. Here we review the application of PD imaging biomarkers to understand clinical symptoms, including cognitive dysfunction, and subsequently discuss the neurocognitive changes associated with the heterogeneous neuropathology observed in Lewy body dementias.   

BIO: Dr. Sephira Ryman is currently the Pacific Udall Center Clinical Research Fellow at the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University. Dr. Ryman uses multimodal neuroimaging techniques (MRI/fMRI, EEG, DWI) to understand the dynamic mechanisms of higher-order cognitive functioning in both health and disease. She currently aims to characterize how neuronal functioning is altered in Parkinson's Disease and Lewy body dementias, with specific goals of identifying meaningful biomarkers to track disease progression and developing interventions that improve cognitive functioning.

Feel free to circulate

Light refreshments will be served

Please RSVP to Ashley Racca at aracca@mrn.org by August 21st at NOON.

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