Integrating neuroimaging with studies of cognitive aging in Dominican Republic

描述(申请人提供)：我们位于曼哈顿北部的中心正在进行的研究一直表明，老年加勒比海拉美裔(主要来自多米尼加共和国)的认知障碍和痴呆症的患病率和发病率高于高加索人。尽管这一观察结果是一致的，但造成这种健康差距的原因仍然难以捉摸。由于社会经济因素、独特的遗传风险因素和脑血管疾病的高代表性的相互影响，来自多米尼加共和国等低收入和中等收入国家的个人可能面临更高的风险。针对PAR-11-031《发展中世界的大脑紊乱：生命周期中的研究》，这项拟议的工作试图通过与多米尼加共和国圣地亚哥的研究人员建立合作，将高分辨率磁共振成像(MRI)整合到正在进行的认知衰老基因研究中，最终了解这种差异的来源。磁共振成像可以用来量化小的和大的脑血管疾病(例如，脑梗塞、白质高信号、微出血)，并检查神经变性的标志(例如，海马体萎缩)。[阿尔茨海默病遗传影响的家族研究]是对阿尔茨海默病(AD)的大规模纵向遗传学研究，研究对象包括患有和不患有AD的个体，这些个体来自有或没有AD病史的家庭；有超过4,500名活跃的老年人参与者，其中超过2,700人居住在圣地亚哥。我们拟议的试点研究将在圣地亚哥收集来自EFIGA的70名活跃参与者的MRI扫描，并将MRI数据与作为母项目一部分收集的临床和基因数据相结合。我们将探索脑血管疾病和神经退行性变的标志物与人口统计因素、认知功能/诊断和遗传学的关系。我们将为圣地亚哥开展的一项关于认知衰老和遗传学的前瞻性大规模核磁共振研究项目建立可行性和试点数据。作为这里提出的努力的一部分，我们将致力于建立当地能力，以获取标准化的MRI数据，并为涉及老年人的研究进行MRI分析。最后，我们的目标是通过临床指导、正式教学、持续的积极合作和研讨会，介绍关于跨学科认知衰老研究的正式和非正式培训机会。拟议的项目将促成一项强有力的合作，以揭示加勒比拉美裔之间认知老化差异的根源。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Ongoing research in our center in Northern Manhattan has consistently shown that the prevalence and incidence of cognitive impairment and dementia are greater among older Caribbean Hispanics, predominantly from Dominican Republic, than among Caucasians. Despite the consistency of this observation, the causes for this health disparity remain elusive. Individuals from low and middle income countries, such as Dominican Republic, may be at increased risk because of the interacting influences of socioeconomic factors, unique genetic risk factors, and high representation of cerebrovascular disease. The proposed work, in response to PAR-11-031, Brain disorders in the developing world: Research across the lifespan, seeks ultimately to understand the sources of this disparity by building a collaboration with investigators in Santiago, Dominican Republic to integrate high resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) into ongoing genetic studies of cognitive aging. Magnetic resonance imaging can be used to quantify small and large cerebrovascular disease (e.g., infarct, white matter hyperintensities, microbleeds) and to examine markers of neurodegeneration (e.g., hippocampus atrophy). The Estudio Familiar de Influencia Genetica de Alzheimer (EFIGA; NIH R37 AG015473 PI: R. Mayeux) [Family Study of the Genetic Influence of Alzheimer's Disease] is a large scale longitudinal genetic study of Alzheimer's disease (AD) comprising individuals with and without AD from families with and without strong histories of the disease; there are over 4,500 active older adult participants, over 2,700 of whom reside in in Santiago. Our proposed pilot study will collect MRI scans in Santiago on 70 active participants from EFIGA and integrate MRI data with clinical and genetic data collected as part of the parent project. We will explore the relationships of markers of cerebrovascular disease and neurodegeneration with demographic factors, cognitive function/diagnosis, and genetics. We will establish feasibility and pilot data for a prospective, large-scale MRI project of cognitive aging and genetics, carried out in Santiago. As part of the efforts proposed here, we will work towards establishing the local capacity to acquire standardized MRI data and carry out MRI analysis for research involving older adults. Finally, we aim to introduce formal and informal training opportunities on interdisciplinary cognitive aging research via clinical preceptorship, formal didactics, ongoing active collaboration, and a symposium. The proposed project will result in a strong collaboration poised to uncover sources of disparities of cognitive aging among Caribbean Hispanics.