PREDICTORS OF COGNITIVE DECLINE IN NORMAL AGING

该子项目是利用NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的许多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为中心，不一定是研究者所在机构。本研究的目的是确定一个可靠的标记物，预测老年人的认知障碍和进行性脑损伤。具体而言，将通过MRI评价海马体的嗅周和内嗅皮质的萎缩，作为海马体萎缩和记忆力下降的早期标志物。将研究两组医学健康的老年受试者;一组将是ApoE 4等位基因携带者。第三组是20-30岁的正常健康志愿者。将在基线、18个月和36个月时评价临床评价、神经心理成套测验和阿尔茨海默病相关认知缺陷。将在18个月和36个月时进行MRI，以评价海马病理学。使用该人群，将检验以下假设：1）在阿尔茨海默病风险人群中，是否存在海马萎缩的时间顺序，即EC长度变化先于海马体积损失，先于颞叶萎缩？2)EC长度是纵向记忆的预测因子吗？它可以用来将患者分为正常和轻度认知障碍吗？3)在那些携带ApoE 4等位基因的人中，基线海马萎缩的证据是否预示着更大的记忆力下降？ 这项研究的结果可能会提高我们检测阿尔茨海默病（AD）风险受试者的能力。迄今为止的结果已经证明了连续脑成像和图像处理在监测导致轻度认知障碍（MCI）和AD的记忆衰退的早期过程中的重要性。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The aim of this research is to identify a reliable marker that predicts cognitive impairment and progressive brain damage in the elderly. Specifically, atrophy of the perirhinal and entorhinal cortices of the hippocampus will be evaluated by MRI as an early marker of hippocampal atrophy and memory decline. Two groups of medically healthy elderly subjects will be studied; one group will be carriers of the ApoE4 allele. A third group will be normal healthy volunteers 20-30 years of age. Clinical evaluations, a neuropsychological battery and Alzheimer's-associated cognitive deficits will be evaluated at baseline, 18 and 36 months. MRIs will be done at 18 and 36 months to evaluate hippocampal pathology. Using this population, the following hypotheses will be tested: 1) In those at risk for Alzheimer¿¿s, is there a temporal sequence of atrophy of the hippocampus, with EC length change preceding hippocampal volume loss, which precedes temporal lobe atrophy? 2) Is EC length a predictor of longitudinal memory, and can this be used to classify patients into normal and minimally cognitively impaired? 3) In those carrying the ApoE4 allele, does evidence of baseline hippocampus atrophy predict a greater memory decline? Findings from this study may enhance our ability to detect subjects at risk for Alzheimer¿¿s disease (AD). Results thus far have demonstrated the importance of serial brain imaging and image processing in monitoring the early course of memory decline leading to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD.