This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.1. We are interested in subtle cognitive dysfunction that occurs in neuropsychiatric illness. There is mounting evidence that prior to the onset of frank psychiatric and neurologic symptoms associated with the illnesses in question, there may be changes in cognitive function [1,2,3,4], if so, these may represent the first manifestations of pathologic processes. The nature of the cognitive impairments are as yet poorly characterized and subsequently not well understood. In gross terms the functions affected appear to be attention, memory, and 'executive' function (decision making abilities) [5,6,7,8]. In this protocol we will limit our area of inquiry to two specific subsets of the broad categories listed above: implicit memory/learning, and one aspect of attention, sustained attention (sometimes referred to as vigilance). In the future we intend to cautiously broaden our focus to include aspects of working memory, executive function and likely visual attention. We have these fMRI paradigms in development and will introduce them when appropriate.We are interested, as described in the earliest of iterations of this protocol in studying subjects with Huntington's Disease (HD), Parkinson's Disease (PD), Affective illness (i.e. Major Depression) and Schizophrenia. We would like to include a cohort of subjects genetically at risk for Alzheimer's Disease (AD).
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