This Administrative Supplement requests one-year of funding to support unforeseen costs associated with the University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Center Neuroimaging Core. The Neuroimaging Core's overall mission is to support and stimulate brain aging and AD research by providing investigators with advanced neuroimaging support for all aspects of studies - from conceptualization, through implementation and obtaining the resources needed, to the final reporting. This mission is achieved through three Specific Aims: 1) to provide an integrated imaging environment, 2) to establish an imaging dataset linked to clinical data, and 3) to develop novel methods targeted to research in aging, AD, and neurodegeneration. The optional Neuroimaging Core is integral to the metabolism and energy aims of the KU ADC, which is exemplified by the extensive portfolio of 41 active and 14 pending grant applications that rely on Neuroimaging Core support. However, the P30 funds available to support these activities are inadequate to support the extensive needs of these projects. The requested funds will fund two initiatives: 1) expand infrastructure for our sharable dataset and more rapidly start new projects by increasing the effort of the Core Manager by 50% FTE, and 2) provide one year of funding for a magnetic resonance imaging physicist/programmer who will customize MRI acquisition sequences by implementing a novel acquisition approach developed by University of Kansas scientists affiliated with the Neuroimaging Core. This navigator-echo frequency correction approach will help reduce the amount of imaging data discarded because of excessive subject movement during scanning. These sequences will be used in several grant funded projects and also for acquiring our standard imaging dataset on our Clinical Cohort. These projects are feasible within the one-year timeframe of an Administrative Supplement. At the end of this time we will have substantially improved imaging infrastructure to support investigators in AD and aging as well as a series of imaging acquisition sequences that are optimized for use with elderly and cognitively-impaired participants. These sequences will add to our portfolio of sequences that will be shared with other sites within and beyond the NIA ADC network.
Neuroimaging is a key tool for exploring the structure, function and metabolism in Alzheimer's Disease, aging, and other neurodegenerative disorders. The KU ADC Neuroimaging Core supports MRI and PET studies through advanced infrastructure, training, and novel methods development, but the current demands far exceed the limited funding available to this optional core. Through this Administrative Supplement we will make a significant expansion to data management infrastructure and dramatically improve a series of imaging sequences used for numerous NIA-funded projects.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 333 publications
