Since 1990, the ADC at NYU has been providing core resources and support to a comprehensive, multidisciplinary research program on aging and AD that spans basic through psychosocial research. The main scientific goal of the ADC is to facilitate and enhance research that will lead to early diagnosis and prevention. Over the next 5-years, core resources will be used to study the transition from normal aging to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early AD. In addition to NYU SoM, investigators at the Nathan Kline Institute (NKI), the NYS Institute for Basic Research (IBR), and other New York City area facilities are also participating. Patients with AD and related disorders, subjects with MCI, and cognitively normal subjects are studied longitudinally through postmortem. A Director and Associate Leaders who serve on an Executive Committee and an External Advisory Committee supervise the ADC. Standard ADC cores supported consist of Administrative, Clinical, Neuropathology, Data Management and Education Cores. In addition, Neuroimaging and Caregiver Cores significantly strengthen the research contributions of ADC investigators. The Clinical Core includes a Satellite Multicultural Program focusing on minority recruitment, and an ADC Biorepository (a joint effort of the Clinical, Neuroimaging and Neuropathology Cores) stores and provides investigators with CSF, blood and postmortem brain tissue samples. The Neuropathology Core includes a morphometry component at IBR. Each year, the ADC directly supports several pilot studies, and provides core resources (subjects;clinical, neuroimaging and psychosocial data;blood, CSF and brain tissue) to extensive current research receiving primary support from NIH and other sources. The extensive multidisciplinary research utilizing the ADC has been strengthened by the creation of a Center of Excellence on Brain Aging. There is also extensive collaboration with other ADC's and national consortia, and data from the NYU ADC is shared with the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) and with numerous collaborating investigators. The ADC has made and will continue to make substantial contributions toward eliminating the problem of AD.
There are more than 5-million AD patients in the U.S, a number that will triple in the next few decades due to the dramatic expansion of the elderly population. This neurodegenerative disease has a devastating impact on patients and families and on the healthcare system. In supporting research on early detection and prevention, the ADC will help reduce and eventually eliminate this major public health problem.
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