The Imaging Core of the UCLA Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) builds on extensive strengths at UCLA for brain imaging. The Imaging and Genetics Core of the past funded period has been reengineered to an Imaging Core that embraces both structural and functional imaging. During the past funded period, we have built a large archive of images of patients assessed cross-sectionally and have followed a cohort of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and normal aged controls with longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Images have been used by investigators to construct a preliminary AD atlas. In the renewal period, these longitudinal studies will be extended to include patients with cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND) and patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The Core will provide both structural (MRI) and functional (positron emission tomography; PET) assessments longitudinally. Patients will be assessed and followed for clinical data in the Clinical Core and genetic data will be collected in the Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Core. The Imaging Core will: (1) collect high quality longitudinal (every two years) structural (MRI) imaging data on a total of 160 individuals consisting of 35 individuals with MCI, 35 with CIND, 20 with FTD, 10 with mild AD, and 40 cognitively intact healthy elderly; (2) collect functional (FDG-PET) imaging on the same cohort; (3) archive all cross-sectional imaging data (MRI, PET, and SPECT) obtained on ADRC subjects as part of their initial and/or follow-up assessments (approximately 1,000 individuals assessed cross-sectionally and 200 prospectively by the end of the renewal period); (4) provide the means for investigators to digitally analyze structural images; 5) develop a core resource for use by investigators to analyze functional images; 6) support other cores and investigators. The Core will interact with a network of related core activities and projects to advance drug development and neurotherapeutics for MCI, CIND, AD, and FTD.
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