The overall goals of the Neuropathology Core (NPC) of the MADRC are to provide investigators and family members with accurate and detailed neuropathologic assessment of tissues from patients of interest to the MADRC, to provide investigators with well characterized fixed and frozen brain tissue from patients who have been clinically characterized in the Clinical Core of the MADRC and other clinics of the University of Michigan Medical Center, to facilitate research by providing tissue processing for evaluation of experimental tissues; and to provide educational resources for investigators and health care providers. To achieve these goals, the present scope of the NPC has been expanded with the recruitment of a new Director and other personnel. Dedicated space for a neuropathologic diagnostic laboratory has been identified and equipped to make it operational. The new Director will add neuropathologic expertise to the management of the NPC. Under his leadership the routine diagnostic procedures of the NPC will be expanded to involve morphometric and immunocytochemical techniques, including access to a modern morphometry facility with both light and ultrastructural capabilities. Other new initiatives will be introduced, such as brain banking of wet and frozen tissue from prior related disorders; collection of spinal cords; measures to improve the collection of high quality normal control material; introduction of more detailed clinicopathologic correlations; and easy employment of ultrastructural and morphometric techniques. Hence the NPC will expand its responsibilities and capabilities and will provide a broad basis for high quality diagnostic services with respect to dementing and degenerative disorders. These new initiatives will also provide opportunities for several collaborative arrangements with both clinical and basic scientists. The brain bank facility will continue to serve an important role as a depository of frozen and wet tissue that is provided to investigators within and outside the MADRC.
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