# Cognitive Correlates of Mitochondrial Function in Older Adults

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · 2022 · $18,852

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
As the population of adults ages beyond 65 years, one of the most pressing public health concerns is cognitive
decline, transition to dementia, and utilization of health care resources. Thus, it is imperative to identify and
characterize the contribution of specific neural mechanisms to non-normative cognitive decline with the goal of
finding evidence-based interventions. Evidence suggests that mitochondrial efficiency and energy production
decline with older age. The brain is reliant on mitochondria to carry out a host of vital cellular functions including
energy metabolism, respiration, and apoptosis to maintain neuronal integrity. Clinically relevant, dysfunctional or
damaged mitochondria have been implicated as central to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease
processes like Alzheimer’s disease. Phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31-P MRS) is a unique,
non-invasive, and powerful method for examining in vivo mitochondrial function. To date, only a handful of studies
have used this approach to assess the relationship between markers of mitochondrial function and cognition,
and findings have been mixed. The goal of the current study is to better understand the differential influence of
mitochondrial function on cognition in older adults. Given that declines in executive function and memory are
particularly sensitive to aging, the central hypothesis is that regional markers of mitochondrial function, namely
adenosine triphosphate (ATP), will be differentially associated with domain-specific cognition across frontal
and temporal regions. The proposed study aims to (1) concurrently examine markers of ATP function over frontal
and temporal regions using a non-invasive, state-of-the-science neuroimaging technique, 31-P MRS, and (2)
determine the relationship between regional 31-P MRS-based markers of ATP function and domain-specific
cognition (i.e., executive, memory). Working hypotheses for the proposed study are (1) markers of temporal ATP
function will be greater in concentration as compared to markers of frontal ATP function given the high energy
consumption within temporal regions (e.g., hippocampus) and more rapid age-related declines in structure and
function within frontal regions, (2) markers of frontal ATP function will be more strongly associated with executive
function tasks relative to memory tasks, and (3) markers of temporal ATP function will be more strongly
associated with memory tasks as compared to executive function tasks. Innovative features of the proposed
study include (1) hypothesis guided focus on mitochondrial function in frontal and temporal regions, (2) the
assessment of cognitive domains that rely upon intact structure-function within these regions, and (3) the use of
novel, powerful, and non-invasive markers of in vivo ATP function. Findings from this study will increase current
understanding of the applicability of 31-P MRS as a potential biomarker of mitochondrial function. Bro...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10380587
- **Project number:** 5F31AG071264-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
- **Principal Investigator:** Francesca Veanna Lopez
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $18,852
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-05-16 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10380587

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10380587, Cognitive Correlates of Mitochondrial Function in Older Adults (5F31AG071264-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10380587. Licensed CC0.

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