Howard Chertkow

Research Synopsis

My research aims to advance our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. There are five themes in my lab:

1. How can we better diagnose Alzheimer’s disease at its earliest manifestations using cognitive tools and biomarkers?
2. How does language break down in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease, and what areas are responsible for this breakdown?
3. Is Alzheimer’s disease a single entity, or does it consist of multiple subtypes? This work is done in collaboration with other researchers in the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA), of which I am the Scientific Director.
4. Can the language and memory symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia be improved with neuromodulation treatment with mild electricity applied to the scalp, using a technique called “transcranial direct current stimulation” (tDCS)? This work is being done alongside Scientific Associate Dr. Tyler Roncero.
5. Can we use combinations of diet, lifestyle, and medications to slow the onset of or prevent Alzheimer’s disease? This work will be based in Baycrest’s new Kimel Family Centre for Brain Health and Wellness.

 
All of the work involves volunteer subjects with various forms of memory loss. Many of these individuals enter my studies through the Sam and Ida Ross Memory Clinic at Baycrest, where I work as a neurologist.
Some of this work overlaps with the Anne and Allan Bank Centre for Clinical Research Trials (CCRT) at Baycrest, which I also direct. The CCRT oversees a variety of therapy trials including medications, tDCS, and other modalities, to try to treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.