Brain volumetric analysis across the lifespan of the squirrel monkey model of Alzheimer’s disease pathology

Motivation: The squirrel monkey is a new-world non-human primate model with prominent CAA pathology, making it a valuable translational model to study the aging brain. Goal(s): To study the morphological changes of the SQM brain across lifespan Approach: We computed trends of geometric deformations between n=46 SQMs as a function of age using diffeomorphic image registrations Results: Preliminary data depicts shrinkage of the prefrontal cortex, putamen, caudate nucleus, and thalamus when comparing young to geriatric age groups. White matter changes were visible comparing middle age to geriatric squirrel monkeys. Impact: These results highlight the potential contributions of CAA and vascular dysfunction to brain volumetric changes in the SQM model. Our preliminary findings underline the utility of this unique species for future translational research on CAA/AD and advancing MRI biomarkers.