Laura Baker, PhD, is a research Neuropsychologist with the Memory Wellness Program located at the Veteran's Administration Healthcare System in Tacoma and Seattle, WA. Additionally, she is an Associate Professor at the University of Washington. Dr. Baker is one of our leading researchers and is an expert in the field of memory and aging. Dr. Baker is an investigator on several projects regarding the connection between memory impairment and insulin resistance, diet and exercise, and diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. She gives presentations to professionals in the healthcare and research fields across the US and abroad at international conventions and conferences.

Publications:

Craft, S., Zallen, G., Baker, L.D. Glucose and memory in mild senile dementia of the Alzheimer’s type.  Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 14, 253-267, 1992. 

Asthana, S., Baker, L.D., Tate, P.S.  Role of oestrogen in the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.  Expert Opinion of Investigational Drugs, 6(9), 1203-1209, 1997.

Avery, E.E., Baker, L.D., Asthana, S.  Potential role of muscarinic agonists in Alzheimer’s disease.  Drugs and Aging, 11(6), 450-459, 1997.

Asthana, S., Craft, S., Baker, L.D., Raskind, M.A., Birnbaum, R.S., Lofgreen, C., Veith, R.C., Plymate, S.R.  Cognitive and neuroendocrine response to transdermal estrogen in postmenopausal women with Alzheimer’s disease: Results of a placebo-controlled, double-blind, pilot study.  Psychoneuroendocrinology, 24(6), 657-678, 1999.

Craft, S., Asthana, S., Schellenberg, G.D., Cherrier, M., Baker, L.D., Newcomer, J., Plymate, S., Latendresse, S., Petrova, A. Lofgreen, C., Grimwood, K., Raskind, M., Peskind, E.  Insulin metabolism in Alzheimer’s disease differs according to apolipoprotein E genotype and gender. Neuroendocrinology, 70, 146-152, 1999.

Craft, S., Asthana, S., Newcomer, J.W., Wilkinson, C.W., Baker, L.D., Cherrier, M., Tio Matos, I., Lofgreen, C., Latendresse, S., Petrova, A., Plymate, S., Raskind, M., Scroggin, K., Veith, R.C.  Enhancement of memory in Alzheimer’s disease with insulin and somatostatin, but not glucose. Archives of General Psychiatry, 56, 1135-1140, 1999.

Craft, S., Asthana, S., Schellenberg, G.D., Baker, L., Cherrier, M., Boyt, A.A., Martins, R.N., Raskind, M., Peskind, E., Plymate, S.  Insulin effects on glucose metabolism, memory, and plasma amyloid precursor protein in Alzheimer’s disease differ according to apolipoprotein-E genotype.  Annal New YorkAcademy of Sciences, 903, 222-228, 2000.

Cherrier, M.M., Asthana, S., Plymate, S., Baker, L., Matsumoto, A.M., Peskind, E., Brodkin, K., Bremner, W., Petrova, A., LaTendresse, S., Craft, S.  Testosterone supplementation improves spatial and verbal memory in healthy older men.  Neurology, 57(1), 80-8, 2001.

Asthana, S., Baker, L.D., Craft, S., Stanczyk, F.Z., Veith, R.C., Raskind, M.A., Plymate, S.R.  High-dose estradiol improves cognition for women with AD: Results of a randomized study.  Neurology, 57(4), 605-12, 2001.

Cholerton, B., Gleason, C., Baker, L.D., Asthana, S.  Oestrogen and Alzheimer’s disease: The story so far.  Drugs and Aging, 19(6), 405-27, 2002.

Baker, L.D., Sambamurti, K., Craft, S., Cherrier, M., Raskind, M.A., Stanczyk, F.Z., Plymate, S.R., Asthana, S.  17b-Estradiol Reduces Plasma Ab40 for HRT Naïve Postmenopausal Women with AD.  Am J Geriatric Psychiatry, 11(2), 239-44, 2003.

Craft, S., Asthana, S., Cook, D.G., Baker, L.D., Cherrier, M., Purganan, K., Wait, C., Petrova, A., Latendresse, S., Watson, G.S., Newcomer, J.W., Schellenberg, G.D., Krohn, A.J.  Insulin dose-response effects on memory and plasma amyloid precursor protein in Alzheimer's disease: Interactions with apolipoprotein E genotype.  Psychoneuroendocrinology, 28(6), 809-822, 2003.

Reger, M.A., Welsh, R.K., Watson, G.S., Cholerton, B., Baker, L.D., Craft, S.  The relationship between neuropsychological functioning and driving ability in dementia: a meta-analysis. Neuropsychology. 18(1), 85-93, 2004.

Reger, M.A., Henderson, S.T., Hale, C., Cholerton, B., Baker, L.D., Watson, G.S., Hyde, K., Chapman, D., Craft, S.  Effects of beta-hydroxybutyrate on cognition in memory-impaired adults. Neurobiol Aging. 25(3), 311-4, 2004.

Watson G.S., Cholerton B.A., Reger M.A., Baker L.D., Rhoads K.W., Plymate S.R., Asthana S., Fishel M.A., Kulstad J.J., Green P.S., Cook D.G., Kahn S.E., Keeling M.L., Craft S. Preserved cognition in patients with early Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment during treatment with rosiglitazone: a preliminary study. Am J Geriatric Psychiat. 11:950-8, 2005.

Fishel, M.A., Watson, G.S., Montine, T.J., Wang, Q., Green, P.S., Kulstad, J.J., Cook, D.G., Peskind, E.R., Baker, L.D., Goldgaber, D., Nie, W., Asthana, S., Plymate, S.R., Schwartz, M.W., Craft, S. Hyperinsulinemia provokes synchronous increases in central inflammation and beta-amyloid in normal adults. Archives of Neurology, 62:1539-44, 2005.

Watson, G., Reger, M., Baker, L., McNeely, M., Fujimoto, W., Kahn, S., Boyko, E., Leonetti, D., Craft, S. Effects of Exercise and Nutrition on Memory in Japanese Americans with Impaired Glucose Tolerance. Diabetes Care 29(1):135-6, 2006.

Watson, G.S., Bernhardt, T., Reger, M.A., Cholerton, B.A., Baker, L.D., Peskind, E.R., Asthana, S., Plymate, S.R., Frölich, L., Craft, S. Insulin effects on CSF norepinephrine and cognition in Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging  27(1):38-41, 2006.

Reger, M.A., Baker, L.D., Cholerton, B., Watson, G.S., Craft, S. Effects of intranasal insulin on cognition in memory-impaired older adults: Modulation by APOE genotype. Neurobiol of Aging 27:451-8, 2006.

Kulstad, J.J., Green, P.S., Cook, D.G., Watson, G.S., Reger, M.A., Baker, L.D., Cholerton, B, Plymate, S.R., Asthana, S., Mehta, P.D., Craft S. Differential modulation of plasma β-amyloid by insulin. Neurology, 66:1506-10, 2006.