Dr. Suzanne Craft is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington, Associate Director of the Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS), and Director of the Memory Disorders Clinic at the VAPSHCS/AL Division. She is a neuropsychologist with specialization in neuroendocrinology and neuroscience.

Dr. Craft’s research program has focused on the role of neuroendocrine abnormalities in the development and expression of Alzheimer’s disease. This original line of work has garnered international attention, and Dr. Craft is recognized as a leading authority on the role of insulin metabolism in Alzheimer’s disease and aging. Work accomplished in her projects have revealed that insulin, the peptide that regulates glucose metabolism in the periphery, also plays a role in memory processing, and further, that defects in insulin metabolism characterize a large proportion of patients with AD. Recently her work has expanded to examine the role of insulin in the pathophysiology of AD. She has demonstrated that insulin affects cerebrospinal fluid levels of a protein thought to play a key role in the development of AD, the beta amyloid protein, in vivo in humans. This work resulted in featured article in the journal Neurology that was accompanied by editorial and scientific commentary.

Dr. Craft’s work has also been expanded to test novel therapeutic approaches to the treatment of memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. In a VA-funded study, she examined the efficacy of insulin-sensitizing agents on the progression of AD. The results of that study are very promising and are serving as the basis for a large multi-center trial. Dr. Craft was awarded an RO1 to examine the effects of insulin sensitizers on cognition and cerebral glucose metabolism as measured by PET in patients with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes mellitus, a disorder whose prevalence has reached epidemic proportions and that is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive decline. Her research program also examines factors involved in insulin’s modulation of beta amyloid in human, non-human primate, and rodent brain tissue.

Publications:

Craft, S., Dagogo-Jack, S., Wiethop, B., Murphy, C., Nevins, R., Fleischman, S., Rice, V., Newcomer, J., Cryer, P.E. The effects of hyperglycemia on memory and hormone levels in mild Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type: A longitudinal study. Behavioral Neuroscience, 107:926-940, 1993.

Craft, S., Newcomer, J., Kanne, S., Dagogo-Jack, S., Cryer, P.E., Sheline, Y., Luby, J., Dagogo-Jack, A., Alderson, A. Memory improvement following induced hyperinsulinemia in AD. Neurobiology of Aging, 17:123-130, 1996.

Craft, S., Peskind, E., Schwartz, M.W., Schellenberg, G.D., Raskind, M., Porte Jr., D.  Cerebrospinal fluid and plasma insulin levels in Alzheimer’s disease:  Relationship to severity of dementia and Apolipoprotein E genotype.  Neurology, 50:164-168, 1998.

Craft, S., Teri, L., Kukull, W., Edland, S., McCormick, W., Bowen, J., Larson, E.  Accelerated decline in apolipoprotein e4 homozygotes with Alzheimer’s disease. Neurology, 51:149-153, 1998.

Craft, S., Asthana, S., Newcomer, J.W., Wilkinson, C.W., Tio Matos, I., Baker, L.D., Cherrier, M., Lofgreen, C., Latendresse, S., Petrova, A., Plymate, S., Raskind, M., Grimwood, 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., 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. Neuroendocrinology, 295:2750-2757, 1999.

Boyt, A.A., Taddei, T.K., Hallmayer, J., Helmerhorst, E., Gandy, S.E., Craft, S., Martins, R.N. The effect of insulin and glucose on the plasma concentration of Alzheimer’s amyloid precursor protein. Neuroscience, 95(3):727-34, 2000.

Craft, S., Asthana, S., Schellenberg, G., 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. Annals of the New York  Academy of Sciences, 903:222-8, 2000.

Park, C.R., Seeley, R.J., Craft, S., Woods, S.C. Intracerebroventricular insulin enhances memory in a passive-avoidance task. Physiology and Behavior, 68:509-14, 2000.

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. Neurology, 57:605-12, 2001.

Cherrier, M.M., Asthana, S., Plymate, S., Baker, L., Matsumoto, A., Bremner, W., Lofgreen, C., Petrova, A., LaTendresse, S., Brodkin, K., Veith, R., Craft, S. Testosterone supplementation improves spatial and verbal memory in healthy older men. Neurology 57:80-88, 2001.

Ling, X., Martins, R.N., Racchi, M., Craft, S., Helmerhorst, E. Beta amyloid antagonizes insulin promoted secretion of the amyloid precursor protein. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 4:369-74, 2002.

Martin BK, Meinert CL, Breitner JC; ADAPT Research Group. Double placebo design in a prevention trial for Alzheimer's disease. Control Clin Trials, 23:93-9, 2002.

Cook, D.G., Leverenz, J., Erickson, S., Roth, R.A., Schellenberg, G.D., Jin, L.-W., Kovacina, K.S., Craft, S. Reduced hippocampal insulin degrading enzyme in late Alzheimer’s disease is associated with the apolipoprotein E e-4 allele. American Journal of Pathology, 162:313-9, 2003.

Watson, G.S., Craft, S. The role of insulin resistance in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease: implications for treatment. CNS Drugs 17:27-45, 2003.

Watson, G.S., Peskind, E.R., Asthana, S., Purganan, K., Wait, C., Chapman, D., Schwartz, M.W., Plymate, S., Craft, S. Insulin increases CSF Ab42 levels in normal older adults. Neurology 60:1899 – 1903, 2003.

Baker, L.D., Sambamurti, K., Craft, S., Cherrier, M., Raskind, M.A., Stanczyk, F.Z., Plymate, S.R., Asthana, S. 17beta-estradiol reduces plasma Abeta40 for HRT-naive postmenopausal women with Alzheimer disease: a preliminary study.  Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 11:239-44, 2003.

Craft, S., Asthana, S., Baker, L.D., Cook, D.G., Cherrier, M., Purganan, K., Wait, C., Petrova, A., Latendresse, S., Watson, G.S., Wilkinson, C.W., Newcomer, J.W., Schellenberg, G., Krohn, A.J. Insulin dose-response effects on memory and plasma APP in Alzheimer’s disease: interactions with ApoE genotype. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 28:809-822, 2003.

Cherrier, M.M., Plymate, S., Mohan, S., Asthana, S., Matsumoto, A., Bremner, W., Petrova, A., Craft, S. Relationship between testosterone supplementation and insulin-like growth factor-I levels and cognition in healthy older men. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 29:65-82, 2004.

Watson GS, Craft S. Modulation of memory by insulin and glucose: neuropsychological observations in Alzheimer’s disease. Eur J Pharmacol 490:97-113, 2004.

Craft, S., Watson, G.S. Insulin and neurodegenerative disease: Shared and specific mechanisms. Lancet Neurology, 3, 169-178, 2004.

Fishel MA, Watson GS, Montine TJ, Wang Q, Green PS, Kulstad JJ, Cook DG, Peskind ER, Baker LD, Goldgaber D, Nie W, Asthana S, Plymate SR, Schwartz MW, Craft S. Hyperinsulinemia provokes synchronous increases in central inflammation and beta-amyloid in normal adults. Archives of Neurology, 62,1539-44, 2005.

Watson GS, Cholerton BA, Reger MA, Baker LD, Plymate SR, Asthana S, Fishel MA, Kulstad JJ, Green PS, Cook DG, Kahn SE, Keeling ML, Craft S. Preserved cognition in patients with early Alzheimer disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment during treatment with rosiglitazone: a preliminary study. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 13:950-8, 2005.

Craft, S. Insulin resistance and cognitive impairment: A view through the prism of epidemiology. Archives of Neurology, 62:1043-4, 2005.

Craft, S. Insulin resistance syndrome and Alzheimer's disease: Age- and obesity-related effects on memory, amyloid, and inflammation. Neurobiology of Aging, 26, Suppl 1:65-9, 2005.

Fishel, M.A., Montine, T., Wang, Q., Greene, P.S., Kulstad, J.J., Watson, G.S., Peskind, E., Baker, L.D., Asthana, S., Plymate, S., Cook, D.G., Schwartz, M., Craft, S. Hyperinsulinemia provokes synchronous increases in central inflammation and beta-amyloid in normal adults. Arch Neurol., 62:1539-44, 2005.

Li, G., Cherrier, M.M., Tsuang, D.T., Petrie, E.C., Colasurdo, E.A., Craft, S., Schellenberg, G.D., Peskind, E.R., Raskind, M.A., Wilkinson, C.W. Salivary cortisol and memory function in human aging. Neurobiology of Aging, 2005 Nov 3; [Epub ahead of print].

Reger, M.A., Watson, G.S.., Frey II, W.H., Baker, L.D., Cholerton, B., Keeling, M.L., Belongia, D.A., Fishel, M.A., Plymate, S.R., Schellenberg, G.D., Cherrier, M.M., Craft, S.  Effects of intranasal insulin on cognition in memory-impaired older adults. Neurobiology of Aging, 2005; [Epub ahead of print]

Watson GS, Reger MA, Baker LD, McNeely MJ, Fujimoto WY, Kahn SE, Boyko EJ, Leonetti DL, Craft S. Effects of exercise and nutrition on memory in Japanese Americans with impaired glucose tolerance. Diabetes Care, 29:135-6, 2006

Watson, G.S., Bernhardt, T., Reger, M.A., Cholerton, B.A., Baker, L.D., Peskind, E.R., Asthana, S., Plymate, S.R., Frolich, L., Craft S. Insulin effects on CSF norepinephrine and cognition in Alzheimer’s disease. Neurobiology of Aging, 27, 38-41, 2006.

Reger, M.A., Watson, G.S., Frey, W.H., Baker, L.D., Cholerton, B. Keeling, M.L., Belongia, D.A., Fishel, M. Plymate, S.R., Schellenberg, G.D., Cherrier, M.M., Craft, S. Effects of intranasal insulin on cognition in memory-impaired older adults: Modulation by APOE genotype. Neurobiology 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, 23:1506-10, 2006.

Pedersen, W.A., McMillan, P.J., Kulstad, J.J., Leverenz, J.B., Craft, S., Haynatzki, G.R. Rosiglitazone attenuates glucocorticoid-induced learning and memory deficits in Tg2576 Alzheimer mice.  Experimental Neurology, 199:245-8, 2006.

Watson G.S., Craft S. Insulin resistance, inflammation, and cognition in Alzheimer's disease: lessons for multiple sclerosis. Journal of Neurological Science, 245:21-33, 2006.

Li, G., Cherrier, M.M., Tsuang, D.T., Petrie, E.C., Colasurdo, E.A., Craft, S., Schellenberg, G.D., Peskind, E.R., Raskind, M.A., Wilkinson, C.W. Salivary cortisol and memory function in human aging. Neurobiology of Aging, 27,1705-14, 2006.

Craft, S.  Insulin resistance syndrome and Alzheimer disease: pathophysiologic mechanisms and therapeutic implications.  Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 20:298-301, 2006.

Reger MA, Craft S. Intranasal insulin administration: a method for dissociating central and peripheral effects of insulin. Review. Drugs Today (Barc) 200642:729-39, 2006. 

Cherrier, M.M., Matsumoto, A.M., Amory, J.K., Johnson, M., Craft, S., Peskind, E. R., Raskind, M.A.  Characterization of verbal and spatial memory changes from moderate to supraphysiological increases in serum testosterone in healthy older men.  Psychoneuroendocrinology, 32:72-9, 2007.

The ADAPT Research Group.  Naproxen and celecoxib do not prevent AD in early results from a randomized controlled trial.  Neurology 68:1800-1808, 2007.

The ADAPT Research Group.  Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Events in the Randomized, Controlled Alzheimer's Disease Anti-Inflammatory Prevention Trial(ADAPT). PLoS Clin Trials;1:e33, 2006 [Epub ahead of print].