Neurodegenerative and Neurocognitive Disorders
Neurocognitive disorders are a major global health concern. As our ageing population is growing rapidly, and the long-term safety and cost-effectiveness of amyloid-targeting monoclonal antibodies remain uncertain, early detection and exploration of factors that delay or prevent the clinical onset of neurocognitive disorders are of great importance. For the past few decades, our department plays key roles in conducting prevalence studies of dementia and neurocognitive disorders for Hong Kong. We have also conducted long-term cohort studies to explore physical and lifestyle risk factors for late-life cognitive decline. From the perspective of developing adjuvant interventions, we have studied the effects of physical exercise, cognitive training, and non-invasive brain stimulation to optimize cognitive reserve and functioning in the context of neurodegeneration. From the perspective of the whole society, we have also studied the caregiver and economic burden of neurocognitive disorders, and proposed strategies and interventions to relief the family and social burden of disease.
Our research on neurodegenerative disorders also extended to genetic aspects, including identification of genetic predisposition factors and early detection of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. We also investigated the interaction between host genetic factors and microbiome, in the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, Parkinson’s disease, and its specific prodrome, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder (RBD), which is highly predictive of future Parkinson’s disease and other alpha-synucleinopathy neurodegeneration. Our long-term goal is to facilitate the search for biomarkers that predict the onset and progression trajectory of neurodegeneration and to develop strategies for its prevention.
RESEARCHERS