Walker, AshleyReeve, EmilyMcWhorter, BrianBraker, Maxwell2023-08-182023-08-182023https://hdl.handle.net/1794/2865446 pagesAs the life expectancy for humans continues to increase, the prevalence of age-related diseases is rising. Specifically, humans are becoming more at risk for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. As a result, it is important to understand the physiology behind age-related cognitive impairment so that we can propose solutions and treatments for these diseases. There are many factors that can lead to aging of the brain. Specifically, large artery stiffness is a strong predictor of cerebrovascular dysfunction. Large artery stiffness occurs because of the accumulation of advanced glycation end-products, or AGEs, in blood vessels. This study used wild type C57BL/6 mice to determine the impact that Alagebrium Chloride, or ALT-711 - a drug that breaks AGEs - has with regards to improving cerebrovascular function and cognition in aged mice. C57BL/6 mice treated with Alt-711, via oral gavage, were compared to C57BL/6 mice without treatment. We found that ALT-711 did not impact large artery stiffness, nitric oxide mediated dilation in cerebral endothelial cells, cognition, or motor coordination (p>0.05 for all). However, the data revealed that posterior cerebral artery (PCA) elastic modulus is correlated with motor coordination and instinctual behavior. In addition, cerebral artery endothelial function is correlated with motor coordination. The results of this study give insight about the efficacy of ALT-711 treatment on preserving cerebrovascular function and cognition, and it also helps expand our knowledge about which treatments work for large artery stiffness prevention in mice.en-USCC BY-NC-ND 4.0ArteryBrainCognitionAgingThesis/Dissertation0009-0000-0077-7256