Clinical core of the Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative: Progress and plans

Abstract

The Clinical Core of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) has provided clinical, operational and data management support to ADNI since its inception. This paper reviews the activities and accomplishments of the core in support of ADNI aims. These include the enrollment and follow-up of over 800 subjects in the three original cohorts: healthy controls, amnestic MCI (now referred to as late MCI, or LMCI) and mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the first phase of ADNI (ADNI 1), with baseline longitudinal clinical and cognitive assessments. These data, when combined with genetic, neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid measures, have provided important insights into the neurobiology of the AD spectrum. Further, these data have facilitated the development of novel clinical trial designs. ADNI has recently been extended with funding from an NIH Grand Opportunities (GO) award, and the new ADNI GO phase has been launched; this includes the enrollment of a new cohort, called early MCI (EMCI), with milder episodic memory impairment than the LMCI group. An application for a further 5 years of ADNI funding (ADNI 2) was recently submitted. This funding would support ongoing follow-up of the original ADNI 1 and ADNI GO cohorts, as well as additional recruitment into all categories. The resulting data would provide valuable data on the earliest stages of AD, and support the development of interventions in these critically important populations.

Subclinical Compromise in Cardiac Strain Relates to Lower Cognitive Performances in Older Adults

“…At eligibility, participants underwent medical history and record review, a clinical interview (including a functional questionnaire and Clinical Dementia Rating17 with the informant), and neuropsychological assessment. Participants were excluded for a cognitive diagnosis other than normal cognition (NC), early MCI,18 or MCI19; contraindication to magnetic resonance imaging; history of neurological disease (eg, stroke); prevalent heart failure; major psychiatric illness; head injury with loss of consciousness >5 minutes; and systemic or terminal illness affecting follow‐up examination participation. At enrollment, participants completed a comprehensive evaluation, including (but not limited to) fasting blood draw, physical examination, a clinical interview, medication review, neuropsychological assessment, and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging.…”

Increased Left Ventricular Mass Index Is Associated With Compromised White Matter Microstructure Among Older Adults

“…Inclusion required participants be ≥60 years, speak English, have adequate auditory and visual acuity, and have a reliable study partner. As part of a comprehensive screening, participants were excluded for a cognitive diagnosis other than NC, early MCI,13 or MCI,12 magnetic resonance imaging contraindication, history of neurological disease (eg, multiple sclerosis, stroke), heart failure, major psychiatric illness, head injury with loss of consciousness >5 minutes, or a systemic or terminal illness affecting follow‐up participation. At enrollment, participants completed a comprehensive examination, including (but not limited to) fasting blood draw, physical examination, clinical interview, medication review, neuropsychological assessment, echocardiogram, cardiac magnetic resonance, and multimodal brain magnetic resonance imaging.…”

Evaluation of Common Structural Brain Changes in Aging and Alzheimer Disease with the Use of an MRI-Based Brain Atrophy and Lesion Index: A Comparison Between T1WI and T2WI at 1.5T and 3T

“…18 Clinical assessment data were also obtained, including the Mini-Mental State Examination, Clinical Dementia Rating Scale, and the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale. 19 The clinical assessments had been completed within 14 days of the MR imaging scans. Diagnostic categorization (AD, MCI, and HC) had been made by ADNI site physicians in accordance with the National Institute of Neurologic and Communicative Disorders and Stroke/Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDS/ADRDA) criteria and reviewed by ADNI clinical monitors.…”