Donald R. Dengel, PhD, professor of kinesiology and director of the Laboratory of Integrative Human Physiology (LIHP), is a co-author of the article “Cerebral blood flow characteristics following hemodialysis initiation in older adults: A prospective longitudinal pilot study using arterial spin labeling imaging” in the journal NeuroImage: Clinical. 

The study reported that after 6 months of hemodialysis there was a significant decline in cerebral blood flow. The declines in cerebral blood flow after the start of hemodialysis was associated with changes in Modified Mini-Mental State Examination scores. The data from this study suggests that the decrease in brain perfusion noted in hemodialysis patients may contribute to the observed cognitive decline noted in these patients.