Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center: Imaging Core The Imaging Core of the Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (MADRC) supports and performs imaging research to understand a variety of types of heterogeneity in Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease related disorders (AD/ADRD) and accelerate progress towards a cure. We carry out core functions in Aims 1, 2, and 3 marshaling resources to enhance the research mission through the support and contributions to imaging components of MADRC-affiliated local and national research projects and the development of uniform imaging protocols that contribute to novel efforts to understand heterogeneity, such as the classification of MADRC Research Cohort participants into the ATVN (amyloid, tau, vascular, neurodegeneration) biological research framework.
In Aims 4, 5, and 6, we develop and implement new strategies and accelerate progress towards a cure in our refinement and validation of novel PET and structural and functional MRI methods. These innovative imaging methods are evaluated in the MADRC Research Cohort, leveraging this deeply phenotyped cohort of participants spanning diverse AD/ADRD diagnoses to make the process of innovation cost-effective (many participants have already been imaged and so these measures can be used to facilitate strategic recruitment; e.g., of amyloid ?positive? subjects) and value-added (by comparing novel imaging measures with those we understand well already).
In Aims 7 and 8 we build the future by providing expertise, education, training and data and software tools to faculty, trainees and students for best practices in imaging research and by providing education to researchers, clinicians and the public on the advances, utility and responsible interpretation of imaging data in AD and ADRD research and ultimately clinical practice.
