Neuropathologic research on dementia using Nun Study and HAAS data

描述（由申请人提供）：预防阿尔茨海默病（AD）和相关痴呆疾病的策略的发展将取决于对潜在病理过程的理解。近年来，老年人的这些疾病显然通常是两种或两种以上基本致病过程的结果，往往相互叠加。这种复杂性在很大程度上被认为是在纵向流行病学项目背景下的神经病理学研究的结果，如修女研究和檀香山-亚洲老龄化研究（哈斯），这两项研究都已完成。拟议的项目将汇编854例哈斯尸检和大约500例Nun研究尸检的累积数据和图像，开发一个共同的数据集和脑切片摄影图像档案，并将用于新修订的神经病理学标准的平行评估，以识别和测量AD疾病过程，并将其与以前的标准进行比较。此外，这些相同的数据将用于深入分析AD脑病变和脑萎缩作为痴呆症的直接因果因素的相互依赖和独立作用。这些努力预计将：（1）为未来分析使用这两个项目的累积资源提供基础，（2）检查修订后的神经病理学AD评估标准对未来研究老年痴呆症的可能影响和效用，（3）促进我们从神经影像学和神经病理学角度理解脑萎缩的原因和重要性的概念趋同。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The development of strategies to prevent Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementing illnesses will depend on an understanding of the underlying pathologic processes. In recent years it has become apparent that in older persons, these illnesses are usually the result of two or more fundamental pathogenic processes, often interacting additively. This complexity has been recognized largely as a result of neuropathological research in the context of longitudinal epidemiologic projects such as the Nun Study and the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study (HAAS), both now completed. The proposed project will compile accrued data and images from 854 HAAS autopsies and approximately 500 Nun Study autopsies, develop a common dataset and archive of photographic images of brain sections, and will be employed in parallel assessments of newly revised neuropathologic criteria for the identification and measurement of the AD disease process, which will be compared to previous criteria. In addition, these same data will be utilized for in an in-depth analysis of the interdependent and independent roles of AD brain lesions and brain atrophy as proximate causal factors responsible for dementia. These efforts are expected to: (1) provide a foundation for future analytic use of the accrued resources of the two projects, (2) examine the likely impact and utility of the revised neuropathologic AD assessment criteria for future research addressing the dementing illnesses of late life, and (3) facilitate a conceptual convergence of our understanding of the causes and importance of brain atrophy from neuroimaging and neuropathological perspectives.