This is a competing continuation application for the Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (MADRC). Since it was established in September of 1989, the MADRC has supported highly productive research projects in neurodegenerative diseases and integrated and coordinated research in Alzheimer's disease and related disorders at the University of Michigan and throughout the State of Michigan, fostering new research endeavors and attracting the interest and efforts of others in this field. The MADRC has come to play a central role in the expanding commitment of the University to issues of aging and dementia. Building upon the internationally recognized strengths of the University in the neurological, medical and social sciences, the MADRC has developed an environment that has enhanced the quality and productivity of research, generated interdisciplinary discussion and collaboration, and attracted others to join the efforts to combat neurodegenerative diseases. The MADRC has also become a regional, state and national resource for collaborative efforts to improve our understanding and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. This application reflects the significant strides made by the MADRC. We propose to increase the number of research projects from three to six, incorporating several of the most promising projects from a much larger collection of investigations underway at the University of Michigan. These projects span the full range of inquiry needed to address neurodegenerative diseases, including clinical studies of affected persons (Projects 1 and 2), postmortem studies of neurodegenerative diseases associated with cognitive and movement disorders (Projects 2 and 4), animal models for study of pathophysiology and treatment (Project 5) and assessment of the public knowledge of and attitudes toward dementia and awareness and utilization of services for dementia in the state (Project 6). These and many other currently funded and developing projects will continue to utilize the resources provided by four established and two newly developed Cores of the MADRC. The Administrative Core integrates and coordinates the entire MADRC, critically reviews scientific projects, funds pilot projects, and manages resources; the Clinical Core identifies, characterizes and classifies patients with neurodegenerative diseases, gives clinical consultation for investigators and brings the resources of the MADRC to underserved persons in rural and urban sites; the Neuropathology Core provides postmortem diagnosis and tissue for research; the Education and Information Transfer Core generates innovative outreach and training efforts, drawing upon the Michigan Dementia Program; the Neuropsychology Core provides neuropsychological evaluation and consultation; and the Biostatistics Core supplies biostatistical consultation and central data management. Under vigorous new leadership, the MADRC plans to continue its productive and collaborative research and service activities.
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