Bäckman Team
My main research focus centers around the Cognition, Brain, and Aging (COBRA) project, a 3-wave longitudinal project with testing every fifth year.
Participants (n =181) were in their mid 60s at baseline.
COBRA includes measurement of dopamine (DA) D2 receptors using PET, structural and functional MRI, as well as extensive cognitive testing and assessment of life-style factors.
The key objective is to study the relation between changes in various brain parameters and changes in cognitive functions in aging, with special focus on DA.
We seek to elucidate the question of why some older persons exhibit marked decline in brain and cognition as they grow older, whereas others age gracefully.
Team members
Lars Bäckman
Professor, Team leaderSaana Korkki
Affiliated to ResearchMartin Lövdén
Affiliated to ResearchJonna Nilsson
Affiliated to ResearchGaia Olivo
Affiliated to ResearchSelected publications
Longitudinal stability in working memory and frontal activity in relation to general brain maintenance.
Nyberg L, Karalija N, Papenberg G, Salami A, Andersson M, Pedersen R, Vikner T, Garrett DD, Riklund K, Wåhlin A, Lövdén M, Lindenberger U, Bäckman L
Sci Rep 2022 Dec;12(1):20957
5-Year Associations among Cerebral Arterial Pulsatility, Perivascular Space Dilation, and White Matter Lesions.
Vikner T, Karalija N, Eklund A, Malm J, Lundquist A, Gallewicz N, Dahlin M, Lindenberger U, Riklund K, Bäckman L, Nyberg L, Wåhlin A
Ann Neurol 2022 Nov;92(5):871-881
Longitudinal Dopamine D2 Receptor Changes and Cerebrovascular Health in Aging.
Karalija N, Johansson J, Papenberg G, Wåhlin A, Salami A, Köhncke Y, Brandmaier AM, Andersson M, Axelsson J, Riklund K, Lövdén M, Lindenberger U, Bäckman L, Nyberg L
Neurology 2022 Sep;99(12):e1278-e1289
Sex differences in dopamine integrity and brain structure among healthy older adults: Relationships to episodic memory.
Karalija N, Papenberg G, Wåhlin A, Johansson J, Andersson M, Axelsson J, Riklund K, Lindenberger U, Nyberg L, Bäckman L
Neurobiol Aging 2021 Sep;105():272-279
Fronto-striatal dopamine D2 receptor availability is associated with cognitive variability in older individuals with low dopamine integrity.
Korkki SM, Papenberg G, Karalija N, Garrett DD, Riklund K, Lövdén M, Lindenberger U, Nyberg L, Bäckman L
Sci Rep 2021 Oct;11(1):21089
Distinct and Common Large-Scale Networks of the Hippocampal Long Axis in Older Age: Links to Episodic Memory and Dopamine D2 Receptor Availability.
Nordin K, Nyberg L, Andersson M, Karalija N, Riklund K, Bäckman L, Salami A
Cereb Cortex 2021 Jun;31(7):3435-3450
Mapping the landscape of human dopamine D2/3 receptors with [11C]raclopride.
Papenberg G, Jonasson L, Karalija N, Johansson J, Köhncke Y, Salami A, Andersson M, Axelsson J, Wåhlin A, Riklund K, Lindenberger U, Lövdén M, Nyberg L, Bäckman L
Brain Struct Funct 2019 Nov;224(8):2871-2882
Dopamine D2/3 Binding Potential Modulates Neural Signatures of Working Memory in a Load-Dependent Fashion.
Salami A, Garrett DD, Wåhlin A, Rieckmann A, Papenberg G, Karalija N, Jonasson L, Andersson M, Axelsson J, Johansson J, Riklund K, Lövdén M, Lindenberger U, Bäckman L, Nyberg L
J Neurosci 2019 Jan;39(3):537-547
Dopamine D2 receptor availability is linked to hippocampal-caudate functional connectivity and episodic memory.
Nyberg L, Karalija N, Salami A, Andersson M, Wåhlin A, Kaboovand N, Köhncke Y, Axelsson J, Rieckmann A, Papenberg G, Garrett DD, Riklund K, Lövdén M, Lindenberger U, Bäckman L
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016 Jul;113(28):7918-23