Eithan Kotkowski PhD Dissertation Defense: Characterizing the Neural Signature of Metabolic Syndrome

Key Words: Eithan Kotkowski, PhD, Dissertation Defense, Radiological Sciences, Neuroscience Imaging, UT Health San Antonio, Metabolic Syndrome, Neuroimaging, Research Imaging Institute, South Texas MSTP, Posterior Cerebellum, Schmahmann Syndrome, Neural Signature, Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, Science, Syndrome X, Insulin Resistance, GSBS, Radiological Sciences, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI
Title: Characterizing the Neural Signature of Metabolic Syndrome
Institution: University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (aka UT Health San Antonio)
Track: Radiological Sciences - Neuroscience Imaging Track
PhD Mentor: Peter T. Fox M.D.
PhD Committee Members:
• Peter T. Fox M.D.
• Ralph A. DeFronzo M.D.
• Geoffrey D. Clarke PhD.
• Larry R. Price Ph.D.
• Amy Garrett Ph.D.
Defense Date: April 23, 2019
Abstract:
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) impacts close to one third of the United States’ population with a growing worldwide prevalence that has been declared an epidemic by the World Health Organization. The most common comorbidities of MetS include type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. More recently, neurodegenerative diseases such as vascular and Alzheimer’s dementia have been investigated as potential consequence of longstanding MetS. Nevertheless, little consensus exists regarding the natural history and neuroanatomical nature of MetS’s influence on the brain. In this dissertation we investigate whether known patterns of neurocognitive decline recapitulate the neuroanatomical pathogeneses of known dementias by defining the gray matter abnormalities present in individuals with MetS versus metabolically healthy controls, identify key brain structures that strongly correlate with MetS - namely the posterior cerebellum - along neuropsychological pathologies resulting from impairment of these brain regions, and isolate the influence of MetS’s individual components (waist circumference, fasting glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, blood pressure) on the neural signature of MetS brain structures in the context of age and sex.
Publications:
Kotkowski E, Price LR, Fox MP, Vanasse TJ and Fox PT. (Feb. 2018). The hippocampal network model: A transdiagnostic metaconnectomic approach. NeuroImage: Clinical 18:115-29. PMCID: PMC5789756. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
Kotkowski E, Franklin C, Price LR, Salazar M, Woolsey M, DeFronzo RA, Blangero J, Glahn DC and Fox PT. (2019). A Neural Signature of Metabolic Syndrome. Human Brain Mapping, 40:3575-3588. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/f...
Full Text of Dissertation: search.proquest.com/openview/...
Other Relevant Links:
Guarino Award: pipettegazette.uthscsa.edu/20...
UT Health San Antonio Stories: www.uthscsa.edu/stories/md-ph...
History of Brain Mapping: • Video
TL1 Scholars: iims.uthscsa.edu/tl1_previous...
Public Scientific Profile:
Research Gate: www.researchgate.net/profile/...
LinkedIn: / eithan-kotkowski
Acknowledgements:
I would like to thank Cheasequah J. Blevins, for her continuous emotional and scientific support, edits, help in figure design, and engaging discussions throughout the writing of this dissertation. I also want to thank my lab mates, especially Tom Vanasse, Cassandra Leonardo, Florence Chiang, and Jodie Gray for always willing to help and provide candid and valuable feedback. Finally, I would like to thank my parents, brothers, and my extended family for their unwavering continued support and encouragement over the years. I would not be where I am without the environment of opportunity and success they fostered.
Furthermore, the work in this dissertation was supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health, South Texas Medical Scientist Training Program: T32GM113898, National Institute of Mental Health Research Supplement to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research for Predoctoral Research Fellows: R01MH074457-11S1, and National Institute of Clinical and Translational Science for Translational Scientist Training Program Scholars: TL1TR002647-01.

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[@brandonkotkowski637]

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