CORE--NEUROIMAGING

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Neuroimaging has increasing importance in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of dementia. Imaging is required to meet research diagnostic criteria for probable Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementias, and other dementing disorders. The activities of the Imaging Core are integrated with the NIH-funded Human Brain Imaging Project. UCLA has a well developed imaging program and neuroimaging is one of the central strengths of the UCLA Alzheimer's Disease Center (ADC). Thus far, 634 structural and functional images have been obtained and analyzed. Contributions have been made to understanding the relationship of genetic status to imaging in AD as well as to imaging alterations in frontotemporal dementias and vascular dementia. In the renewal period we will enhance the availability of imaging results through further development of the imaging node on the ADC net linking UCLA ADC sites; increase standardization of images across different ADC sites; correlate imaging, clinical and pathological changes of patients studied in the ADC; develop new techniques for brain imaging of dementia patients; and continue to develop an environment that facilities imaging research and training. The Imaging Core will collaborate with the Education/Information Transfer Core to train ADC personnel to reliably interpret changes in structural and functional images. UCLA ADC sites have access to an unprecedented breadth of neuroimaging resources. Computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are available at all sites; magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is operational at Harbor-UCLA and UCLA Medical Center; positron emission tomography (PET) is available at UCLA Medical Center and West LA Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC); single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) can be procured from all sites; QEEG can be obtained at all sites except Drew/King; and functional MRI is operational at UCLA Medical Center and is being developed at Harbor-UCLA. A cryomacrotome at UCLA allows slicing of human heads, digitization of each slice, and subsequent computerized reconstruction of the images. These images can be studied to address questions relevant to the relationship of imaging to pathology. The Imaging Core has made an important contributions and is poised to make additional advances in the renewal period.