Ongoing Projects

Dr. Kumar is the Principal Investigator on this NIH-funded study. The objective is to determine the pathological stage and nature of white matter injury in recently-diagnosed, treatment-naive patients with obstructive sleep apnea using noninvasive diffusion tensor imaging based MRI procedures.

Dr. Kumar is the Principal Investigator on this NIH-funded study. Our aim is to evaluate blood-brain barrier (BBB) status, structural integrity of autonomic, cognitive, and breathing control areas, affective and cognitive issues, the relationships between BBB function and brain integrity of those sites, and effects of CPAP treatment in BBB integrity with time in obstructive sleep apnea subjects.

Dr. Roy is the Principal Investigator on this AHA-funded study. The purpose of this study is to assess regional brain cerebral blood flow (CBF) and tissue integrity, cognitive status, and relationships between regional CBF and cognitive scores in Heart Failure (HF) subjects. Information from this study has important implications on identification of effective treatments for reducing brain damage by improving cerebrovascular auto-regulation/CBF in HF (e.g., statins, angiotensin, and nonpharmacologic treatments, e.g., behavioral therapy and mild hypothermia), and thus, cognition, which could dramatically improve the mortality, morbidity, and quality of life in this high risk patient population.

Dr. Kumar and Dr. Woo are co-principal investigators on this NIH/NINR-funded study. The study examines global blood-brain barrier (BBB) function, assess regional tissue injury, and evaluates the relationships between BBB function and brain injury in subjects with heart failure.

Dr. Kumar and Dr. Pike are co-principal investigators on this NIH/NINR-funded study. The purpose of this study is to examine global brain mean arterial transit time (ATT) values and compare regional changes in MD values (indicator of tissue injury) in the hippocampus, frontal cortex, temporal, and parietal areas, and cognitive scores between Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) and age and gender matched control subjects.