ARUK 2021 | The Cognition and Flow Study: the effects of brain training on brain blood flow

Lucy Beishon, MD, PhD, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK, discusses the importance of vascular pathologies across a range of dementias, not just vascular dementia. Dr Beishon highlights that vascular changes could be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment and prevention of dementia. The Cognition and Flow Study is a feasibility randomized trial investigating the effects of cognitive training (CT) on cerebral blood flow velocity. The study identified changes in cerebral blood flow velocity responses post-CT might indicate training-induced vascular plasticity. These results require further investigation in a larger trial. Additionally, in the future, it would be interesting to study the effects of physical exercise on brain vascular function. This interview took place during the Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK) Conference 2021.