Training - The Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Clinical Research Consortium

从研究和训练的角度来看，额颞叶变性（FTLD）是一个复杂的实体。该病症影响多种神经系统，包括认知、情感、锥体、锥体外系和下运动神经元系统。FTLD的复杂性要求临床研究人员熟悉临床神经科学许多领域的技术，包括使用人格量表和情感知识测试等措施评估语义处理和社会情感功能，评估异常运动障碍，包括眼球运动控制的微妙变化和运动神经元功能的评估。此外，与FTLD相关的成像技术包括使用几种配体的PET扫描和多种类型的MRI序列，包括T1加权MRI、扩散张量成像、灌注MRI和功能性MRI。此外，突变作为FTLD的原因相对频繁。正因为如此，FTLD临床研究人员需要了解围绕基因检测的复杂伦理问题，以及这如何影响家庭成员参与研究的能力和研究参与者的福祉。FTLDCRC将为学员提供一个极好的机会，在一个大型多中心网络的背景下探索这些问题，该网络以类似于临床试验的方式对FTLD进行纵向评估。FTLDCRC研究人员在使用这些技术和培训新兴研究人员使用这些技术方面拥有丰富的经验。他们一直是开发FTLD诊断方法和在临床试验中跟踪FTLD进展的领导者。这些研究人员建立的基础设施和他们多年来发展的专业知识构成了培训FTLD研究新兴研究人员的理想环境。FTLDCRC培训部分的目标是：1：为高级临床研究员提供部分工资支持，2：为FTLDCRC研究员提供培训基础设施，3：通过指导和监督确保受训者成功。

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a complex entity from a research and training perspective. The disorder affects a wide variety of neurological systems including cognitive, emotional, pyramidal, extrapyramidal, and lower motor neuron systems. The complex nature of FTLD requires that clinical researchers be familiar with techniques from many areas of clinical neuroscience, including the assessment of semantic processing and socioemotional function using measures like personality inventories and emotion knowledge tests, the assessment of unusual movement disorders including subtle changes in control of eye movement and the assessment of motor neuron function. In addition, imaging techniques relevant to FTLD include PET scanning using several ligands and multiple types of MRI sequences including Tl-weighted MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, perfusion MRI and functional MRI. Also mutations are relatively frequent as a cause for FTLD. Because of this, FTLD clinical researchers need to understand the complex ethical issues surrounding genetic testing, and how this affects the ability of family members to participate in research and the well-being of research participants. The FTLDCRC will provide an excellent opportunity for trainees to explore these issues in the context of a large multicenter network doing longitudinal assessment of FTLD in a manner similar to clinical trials. The FTLDCRC investigators have a wealth of experience in employing these techniques and in training emerging researchers to use them. They have been leaders in developing methods for diagnosing FTLD and tracking progression of FTLD in clinical trials. The infrastructure built by these investigators and the expertise they have developed over many years constitute an ideal environment for training emerging investigators in FTLD research. The Aims for the training component of the FTLDCRC are: 1: To provide partial salary support for advanced clinical research fellows, 2: To provide a training infrastructure for FTLDCRC fellows, 3: To ensure trainee success through mentorship and supervision.