Dementia

Dementia is a pathological neurodegenerative process characterized by a gradual decrease in cognitive, memory, and functional capacity that is severe enough to affect daily functioning. Mild Cognitive Impairment(MCI) is the pre-stage of dementia, and it begins several years before the onset of dementia symptoms in earnest, but it is difficult to recognize. When symptoms of dementia begin to appear, cognitive ability decreases rapidly, while appropriate treatment at the MCI stage can slow the progression of dementia. Therefore, our laboratory aims to be able to start treatment of dementia in the pre-dementia stage by exploring various biomarkers of dementia, and furthermore, we aim to develop a treatment for dementia.

Sleep

Sleep is an essential physiological phenomenon characterized by changes in various physiological functions, including brain activity, respiration, and heart rate. Sleep plays a vital role in the functioning of the brain by forming new pathways and processing information. Inadequate sleep has been widely acknowledged to be a risk factor for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and dementia. Dementia is a condition associated with a significant decrease in cognitive abilities. There is increasing research on the close relationship between sleep disorders and cognitive decline, but further investigation is needed.

Stress

Stress is the psychological and physical tension you feel when you are in an environment that is difficult to adapt. If this condition has for a long time, it may cause mental disorders such as insomnia and depression and physical diseases. Therefore, our study aims to develop the therapeutics by clarifying the stress and pathophysiological mechanisms and identifying the correlation between mental disorders and cerebrovascular disorders.