Student Researcher

Profile

Passionate neuroscientist dedicated to unraveling neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's. From a chance encounter with "Alzheimer's" in 2016, I've evolved into a committed researcher. My expertise lies in developing early AD prediction frameworks, utilizing neuroimaging and explainable AI models. Currently, at the Centre for Brain Research, I explore population-level dynamics in rural India, decoding brain pathological changes associated with amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Education

2021 - 2023

Master's in Cognitive and Brain Sciences

Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, India

2018 - 2021

Bachelor's in Zoology and Biotechnology

College of Basic Science and Humanities, Bhubaneswar, India

Work Experience

May 2023 - Present

Research Assisstant at Centre for Brain Research, IISc

Working with Dr. Jonas S. Sundarakumar on developing explainable deep-learning tools within SANSCOG study for the identification of risk and protective factors for dementia in community-dwelling cohort. Exploring the application of AI/ML in translation dementia research; focus on multimodal approach by seamlessly integrating socio-demographic, health risk factors and neuroimaging data for new biomarkers.

Publications

1. Shilna Azhuvalappil; Raghav Prasad; Pravin Sahadevan; Hitesh Pradhan* ; Pooja Rai; Jonas S. Sundarakumar Sex-specific differences in the association between APOE genotype and metabolic syndrome among middle-aged and older rural Indians, DOI: 10.1016/j.metop.2024.100281

2. Sumedha Mitra, Raghav Prasad, Pravin Sahadevan, Hitesh Pradhan*, Jonas S Sundarakumar Role of Pulmonary Health on Cognitive Performance in an Aging Rural Indian Cohort: Insights on COPD and PRISm from the CBR-SANSCOG Study, Preprint available at: 10.1101/2024.06.11.24308744

3. Shilna Azhuvalappil, Raghav Prasad, Pravin Sahadevan, Priya Chatterjee, Hitesh Pradhan*, Pooja Rai, Anant Gupta, Reddy Peera Kommaddi, Thomas G Issac, Jonas S Sundarakumar Association between APOE genotypes and Metabolic Syndrome in a Middle Aged and Elderly Urban South Indian Population, DOI: 10.1016/j.metop.2024.100301

4. Hitesh Pradhan*, Raghav Prasad, Priya Chatterjee, Jonas S Sundarakumar Association of social network diversity with brain volume and cognitive performance in rural aging Indians (Manuscript under preparation), Abstract accepted at AAIC Advancements: Modernizing Diagnosis, Tokyo 2024

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Connections to Cognition: The influence of social network diversity on brain health and cognition

Background: Poor social connectedness has been associated with an increased risk of dementia. Additionally, the patterns of social relationships largely remain population and culture-specific. Little is known about the association of social network diversity (ND) with brain and cognitive performance among rural Indians.

Methods: We analysed the cross-sectional data from the Centre for Brain Research - Srinivaspura Aging, Neuro Senescence and COGnition (CBR-SANSCOG) study, collected from January 2018-December 2023 (N = 1115). Subjects aged 45+ years underwent clinical, cognitive and neuroimaging assessments. We excluded subjects with cognitive impairment (Clinical Dementia Rating scale, CDR ≥ 0.5) and abnormal brain pathology. ND was assessed with Cohen’s Social Networking Index questionnaire, and categorized into limited and diverse group based on the median cutoff. Cognitive performance was assessed across attention, memory, language, and visuospatial domains using a culturally-adapted version of the Computerized assessment of adult information processing (COGNITO) battery. Test scores were standardized, and the global cognitive score was calculated as the weighted-average of standardized test scores. Subjects underwent MRI brain scan on 3T Siemens Prisma. Voxel-based morphometry examined volumetric differences in the brain at family-wise error corrected p < 0.05. Multiple linear regression analysis assessed the association between ND and cognitive performance adjusting for age, sex, education, diabetes, hypertension, depression, smoking and alcohol status, and BMI. We also investigated the moderation effect of ND on the association between brain volume and cognition.

Results: In our study population (56.33±8.52 years, 63% females), higher ND was associated with better global (β = 0.31, 95% CI [0.16, 0.46], p < 0.001) and domain-specific cognitive performance (Table 1). Larger brain volumes were observed in temporal pole, left insula, hippocampus and amygdala in individuals with higher ND (Figure 1). Additionally, ND moderated the association between brain volumes and global cognitive performance (β=-0.52, 95% CI [-0.94, -0.10], p=0.015).

Conclusions: Promoting network diversity among rural Indians could be a cost-effective community level strategy to prevent cognitive decline and dementia risk.

Figure 1: Voxel and cluster corrected images shown were rendered using Surf Ice at PFWE < 0.05 and extent threshold of k=354.

5. Hitesh Pradhan*, Raghav Prasad, Priya Chatterjee, Jonas S Sundarakumar Influence of menopause on cognitive functioning in aging Indian women: A cross-sectional study (Manuscript under preparation), Abstract accepted at AAIC, Philadephia 2024

6. Hitesh Pradhan*, Sulakshana Aggarwal, V.L. Remrautpuia, Jonas S Sundarakumar Association of anemia with brain volume and cognitive performance in rural aging Indians (Manuscript under preparation)