Program Description

Research identifying the role of specific nutrients, foods and dietary patterns is an indispensable step in understanding the link of diet with brain health and cognition. This session will review scientific knowledge regarding nutrition and cognitive health. Emerging research exploring the effect of certain foods on the brain utilizing functional MRI will be discussed. Leading researchers will examine present epidemiological, clinical and experimental research that helps to better understand the role diet can play in improving cognitive health and perhaps delaying the onset of cognitive diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this session, attendees will be able to:

• Describe measurements of brain function of relevance in the study of diet and cognitive health.
• Gain insight into the ability of new technologies to shed light on how diet affects brain functioning.
• Recognize the role that foods such as walnuts play in cognitive functioning and reducing risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Agenda

   Setting the Stage on Food and Brain Function, Lenore Arab PhD, Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

  Neurocognitive and Neuroimaging Methodology to Assess the Effects of Food and Hormones in the Brain, Christos Mantzoros, MD, DSc, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School

  The Walnuts and Healthy Aging (WAHA) Trial: An In-depth Assessment of the Effect of Walnuts in Brain Health, Emilio Ros, MD, PhD, Director, Lipid Clinic, Endocrinology & Nutrition Service, Hospital Clínic

  Potential Effects of a Diet with Walnuts in Alzheimer’s Disease, Abha Chauhan, PhD, Head, Developmental Neuroscience Lab, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities

Panel Discussion: The Future of Research on Diet and Brain in Humans with Q&A, Lenore Arab PhD, Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (moderator)

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