STANFORD ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE CORE CENTER

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This application reflects the continuing commitment of Stanford University to the study of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Since the inception of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) program for the Study of Psychopathology in the Elderly over 13 years ago, we have had an NIMH Center focusing on the study of AD. Similar to the AIA "Alzheimer's Disease Core Center (ADCC)," the structure of our NIMH Center focusing on the study of AD. Similar to the NIA "Alzheimer's Disease Core Centers (ADCC), the structure of NIMH Center has been that of an "enabling or core center" designed to use "core resources" to facilitate the development of independently funded research on AD. We feel that we been successful in this endeavor, producing funded AD projects at Stanford using the Center's core. Our plan for the future is to continue along this track as an ADCC because the objectives and structure of our Center our Center are more consistent with the mandate of the NIA program than with new NIMH programs that will no long support "core centers" Given our log history as an enabling center with established cores, we feel that we are ideally suited to accomplish this transition. The primary focus of our Center has been the study of aspects for the heterogeneity of AD. In the current application we have expanded the focus of our proposed ADCC to facilitate research in three major areas: etiology; progression of disease; and pathophysiology of associated behavioral symptoms in AD. This work will be closely integrated with major research programs at the University in basic neurosciences and genetics, neuroimaging, and sleep/chronobiology. Our expectation is that we will not only facilitate research in these three individual areas but also, because of our interdisciplinary experience, we will foster research efforts that bridge disciplines and increase cross-fertilization of ideas. We feel that this multi-factorial and interdisciplinary approach may best address complex questions current to AD research.