×
  • Select the area you would like to search.
  • ACTIVE INVESTIGATIONS Search for current projects using the investigator's name, institution, or keywords.
  • EXPERTS KNOWLEDGE BASE Enter keywords to search a list of questions and answers received and processed by the ADNI team.
  • ADNI PDFS Search any ADNI publication pdf by author, keyword, or PMID. Use an asterisk only to view all pdfs.

Active Investigations

There are many active research projects accessing and applying shared ADNI data. Use the search above to find specific research focuses on the active ADNI investigations. This information is requested annually as a requirement for data access.

Principal Investigator  
Principal Investigator's Name: Xiaocao Liu
Institution: Zhejiang University School of Medicine Second Affiliated Hospital
Department: Zhejiang University School of Medicine Second Affi
Country:
Proposed Analysis: Background: The apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε2 is a protective genetic factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the potential interaction effects between APOE ε2 allele and disease status on intrinsic brain activity are still unclear. Method: We identified 73 healthy control (HC) with APOE ε3/ε3,61 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with APOE ε3/ε3, 24 HC with APOE ε2/ε3 and 10 MCI with APOE ε2/ε3 from the ADNI database. Subjects underwent resting-state functional MRI and FDG-PET. To explore the spontaneous brain activity, we used the established metrics fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fAlff). Based on the linear mixed model, we investigated the interaction effects of APOE ε2 allele and disease status on brain activity and metabolism in a voxel-wise way (GRF corrected, p < 0.01), followed by post hoc two-sample t-tests (Bonferroni corrected, p < 0.05). We then extracted and correlated the mean imaging metrics with cognitive abilities. Results: There are no significant differences in gender, age, or education among the four groups. The interaction effect on brain activity was located in the inferior parietal lobule (IPL). Post hoc analyses found that APOE ε2/ε3 MCI had decreased IPL fAlff than APOE ε3/ε3 MCI. Regarding the main effects, APOE ε2 carriers have decreased fAlff in the transverse temporal gyrus than non-carriers. Also, FDG-PET analysis showed lower precuneus fAlff values in APOE ε2 carriers than non-carriers. Further, IPL fAlff negatively correlated with visuospatial function (r = -0.16, p < 0.05). Conclusion: APOE ε2 carriers might have a better brain reservation coping with AD-related pathologies in a compensatory mechanism.
Additional Investigators