study on Alzheimer's disease
Yale is participating in a $60 million national study to test whether state-of-the-art imaging, other biological markers, and clinical and neuropsychological assessment can be combined to measure the progression of mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer's disease.
The five-year study, funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) in conjunction with other federal agencies, private companies and organizations, is designed to help researchers and clinicians develop new treatments and monitor their effectiveness as well as lessen the time and cost of clinical trials. The project -- called the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Intitiative (ADNI) -- is the most comprehensive effort to date to find neuroimaging and other biomarkers for the cognitive changes associated with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.
"The single greatest application will be creating a database for testing treatments in the future," says Dr. Christopher van Dyck, associate professor and director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit (ADRU) & Cognitive Disorders Clinic at the School of Medicine. "Once the database is completed, the information will be publicly available, not so much for clinical diagnostic information, but for researchers tracking the course of the disease."
The study will begin in April and will take place at 50 sites across the United States and Canada. A total of 800 adults 55 to 90 years old are expected to participate in the research -- 200 cognitively normal older adults, 400 individuals with mild cognitive impairment, and 200 with Alzheimer's disease.
Neuroimaging research has suggested that positron emission tomography (PET) or serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may serve as a more sensitive and consistent measure of disease progression than the neuropsychological and cognitive assessments now typically used in research and clinical practice. As mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease progress, areas of the brain involved with memory, such as the hippocampus, shrink.
Using the high-resolution images produced by MRI, researchers will evaluate the best ways of measuring this volume loss in the hippocampus and other brain structures. PET scans assess brain function by measuring the rate of metabolism of glucose, which is the brain's fuel. PET scans of people with Alzheimer's disease show that glucose in certain parts of the brain is metabolized at lower levels than in healthy people, and previous studies have shown that low glucose metabolism can be seen in some people even before noticeable symptoms of memory loss occur.
In addition to the upcoming national project, van Dyck and the ADRU are currently using a different PET scanning technique to measure the loss of serotonin receptors in relation to the development of depression and psychotic symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease. They are also implementing a related technology called single photon emissions computed tomography to quantify the loss of brain nicotinic receptors in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, as well as individuals at genetic risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.
Although recruitment for the large multi-center trial will not begin until April, those interested in participating in the study can contact the NIA's Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center at (800) 438-4380.
T H I S
W E E K ' SS T O R I E S
World Fellows Program gets $5 million from Starr Foundation
Benson named to third term as dean of School of Art
Art Stars program brings a twinkle into lives of pediatric patients
Encouraging love of discovery a priority for new Graduate School dean
Yale Endowment gains 19.4%; total assets reach $12.7 billion
Creating a bike-friendly city is graduate student's goal
New Haven's (and Yale's) earliest bikers recalled in 'Bicycle: The History'
Faherty tapped as Yale's top Bulldog -- in virtual world
MEDICAL SCHOOL NEWSYale takes part in national study on Alzheimer's disease
Researchers to examine bathing difficulties for elderly
In fairer people, melanin magnifies the sun's damaging effects on . . .
Grant funds research on stress disorders in pregnant women
Study finds that people taking newer anti-psychotic drugs . . .
Beinecke conference will explore influence of philosopher John Locke
School of Drama to stage historical Shakespearean play
Scenes by Mozart, Verdi and Gilbert & Sullivan to be highlights . . .
Composer and former dean to be lauded with concert
Demetz's contributions to 'culture of peace' recognized
Yale researchers discover cooperative RNA switches in nature
Visiting professor to talk about environment, energy
Oswaldo Rodriguez Roque symposium and lecture . . .
Symposium examined American modernism in the 1930s
Robert Lange, advocated for human subjects in research
Sixteen Yale affiliates win YUWO scholarships
Art and sole
Campus Notes
Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus|Calendar of Events|In the News
Bulletin Board|Classified Ads|Search Archives|Deadlines
Bulletin Staff|Public Affairs|News Releases|
E-Mail Us|Yale Home