The Neuropathology Core serves a number of critical functions within the ADRC. It has and will continue to serve to prove the facilities, expertise and personnel to obtain brain specimens from well characterized elderly demented subjects (primarily suffering from Alzheimer's disease) as well as elderly control subjects. The Neuropathology Core provides 24 hour coverage by trained prosectors and has achieved an enviable record of short post-mortem intervals (mean post-mortem interval 282.9 + 162.6 minutes). To date, a total of 231 brains have been processed through the ADRC brain bank. Each brain specimen is subjected to a detailed dissection protocol which is specifically designed to provide optimally handled and preserved specimens for all of the researchers involved in the ADRC as well as other colleagues and collaborators involved in AD-related research. Each specimen undergoes a detailed neuropathology work-up in which the nature and extent of neuropathologic lesions present are evaluated and documented and a diagnostic neuropatholgic report is issued. The brain tissues obtained are actively used in the ADRC's research efforts and data obtained from these samples have resulted in many important scientific findings and a large number of publications. We have made a conscious decision to concentrate our efforts on obtaining brains from patients on whom detailed and reliable clinical information is available. Accordingly, we have been able to engage in studies which correlate the extent and distribution of certain neuropathologic lesions with clinical aspects of V disease as well as with neurochemical parameters. We have achieved an excellent autopsy record for longitudinally followed ADRC patients (68% of deaths of longitudinally followed ADRC patients have been autopsied). In order to achieve an even higher autopsy rate, we have introduced a procedure in which the next-of-kin is asked to declare an intent to consent to autopsy well in advance of the death of the patient. Due to the chronic nature of this disease, we anticipate that a large number of our longitudinally followed ADRC patients will die within the upcoming funding period and feel that our efforts in seeking intents to consent to autopsy will result in our obtaining many additional valuable specimens. The Neuropathology Core continues to play a central role in the success of this ADRC.
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