The Clinical Core is responsible for the recruitment, evaluation, and follow-up of the research subjects for theProgram Project Grant. The subject recruitment recruitment strategy has been changed in this renewal toobtain individuals at significantly higher risk for AS. Several new measures have been added to quantifyarteriosclerosis, including carotid intima media thickness, retinal artery diameters, and vascular-relatedbiomarkers. The addition of brain amyloid imaging for a subset of subjects will also prove extremely helpful indetermining the extent of concurrent AD pathology, thereby allowing for more accurate estimation of therelative contributions of both AS and AD pathologies to cognition. To accomplish these goals, the ClinicalCore proposes the following specific aims. 1) Expand current cohort to include individuals with substantialCVD risk as determined by high Framingham Cardiovascular Risk Profile (FCRP) scores as well as a subsetof individuals with stroke or myocardial infarction. These individuals will be followed longitudinally toautopsy. 2) Emphasize retention and autopsies on current cohort to satisfy needs of the projects. 3) Directlymeasure arteriosclerosis via carotid intimal medial thickness (CIMT) and retinal arteriolar venousphotography (RAVP) in addition to ascertaining FCRP and brain imaging on all active subjects. 4)Acquirehigh quality clinical data under standardized protocols so as to characterize subjects in ways that provide keydata to the Projects and that support subjects' enrollment in the Projects. This process includes:,4a)Providing reliable and valid clinical diagnoses across the three sites. 4b) Implement standardized clinicaldata collection protocols, including the Uniform Data Set (DOS) thereby assuring collection of data specific tothe Projects, including the ability to share data with the larger dementia research community. 4c) Collectbiological specimens such as serum for specific risk factor studies, DMA and brain imaging in conjunctionwith the Neuropathology and Neuroimaging Cores. 4d) Maintaining quality assurance of all collectedmaterials including validating clinical diagnoses by conducting regular clinical consensus and clinicalpathological conferences.
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