Laura Zahodne, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
The Taub Institute
630 West 168th Street
New York, NY 10032
Phone: 212-305-2046
Fax: 212-342-1838
Email: lbz2105@columbia.edu
Research Interests:
- Psychosocial factors in aging and neurodegenerative disease. Psychological symptoms (e.g., depression, apathy) have been associated with higher incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the nature of this association is not well understood. I am interested in investigating non-mutually exclusive hypotheses that these symptoms represent: 1) psychological reaction to cognitive and functional decline; 2) early symptoms of the neurodegenerative process; 3) risk factors that lower the brain's ability to cope with AD pathology. In addition, I am interested in investigating associations between positive psychosocial factors (e.g., eudaimonic and hedonic wellbeing, self efficacy, social support) and cognition that are independent of negative affect.
- Statistical modeling of symptom trajectories in aging and neurodegenerative disease. Advanced longitudinal methods such as latent growth curve modeling represent powerful, flexible techniques for characterizing changes in brain and behavior over time. I am interested in modeling multivariate outcomes longitudinally to explore theories of disease progression, identify sources of individual differences in aging and disease, and improve clinical prognosis.
Selected Publications
Zahodne, L.B., Glymour, M.M., Sparks, C., Bontempo, D., Dixon, R.A., MacDonald, S.W.S., & Manly, J.J. (2011). Education does not slow cognitive decline with aging: 12-year evidence from the Victoria Longitudinal Study. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 17 (6), 1039-1046.
Zahodne, L.B., Marsiske, M., Okun, M.S., Rodriguez, R.L., Malaty, I., & Bowers, D. (2012). Mood and motor trajectories in Parkinson's disease: multivariate latent growth curve modeling. Neuropsychology, 26 (1), 71-80.
Zahodne, L.B., Devanand, D., & Stern, Y. (in press). Coupled cognitive and functional change in Alzheimer's disease and the influence of depressive symptoms. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Zahodne, L.B., Gongvatana, A., Cohen, R.A., Ott, B.R., & Tremont, G. (in press). Are apathy and depression independently associated with longitudinal trajectories of cortical atrophy in mild cognitive impairment? American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
Zahodne, L.B., Marsiske, M., & Bowers, D. (in press). A latent class analysis of psychological disturbance in Parkinson's disease. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.