T1? MRI OF PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMER?S DISEASE

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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. Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that is the most common form of dementia found in the elderly. Currently, there is no existing treatment for AD in part due to lack of early diagnosis of the disease. Early changes in AD affected brains are thought to occur on a biochemical scale with the growth of neurofibrilary tangles (NFTs) and senile plaques (SPs) which lead to macromolecular deterioration and cell death. Current state of the art MRI techniques can only measure gross morphological changes that occur late in the disease progression, however an alternate MRI contrast exists which is called T1¿. Early macromolecular changes will alter the bulk water T1¿ relaxation times providing an earlier in vivo look at AD progression. In this project, T1¿ relaxation times are measured in AD, mildly cognitively impaired (MCI) and control populations to assess the ability of T1¿ to diagnose AD.