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: | Thorsten Kahnt |
| Institution: | Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine |
| Department: | Department of Neurology |
| Country: | |
| Proposed Analysis: | We propose to use the ADNI diffusion MRI, structural MRI, and olfactory perceptual data to explore anatomical changes underlying olfactory decline in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). We hypothesize that olfactory deficits in AD are associated with neurodegeneration in the lateral olfactory tract (LOT). We have recently developed a probabilistic LOT atlas based on high-resolution, multi-shot EPI diffusion MRI data collected from young adults (manuscript in preparation). We will use this probabilistic atlas to identify the location of the LOTs in ADNI data from participants with AD and age-matched controls. We will estimate diffusion microstructure such as fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) in LOT voxels, as a measure of potential neurodegeneration. These microstructure values will be averaged within individual segments for each subject, allowing us to compare LOT white matter integrity between participants with AD and healthy controls. We expect lower FA values and higher MD values in the LOT in the AD compared to the control group. In addition, we will test correlations between diffusion microstructure measures in the LOT, olfactory perceptual scores, and age, within and across groups. Further, we plan to compare MD values in olfactory regions of interest such as amygdala, anterior olfactory nucleus, entorhinal cortex, frontal piriform cortex, olfactory tubercle, and temporal piriform cortex between groups. This will reveal which olfactory brain regions show signs of degradation in Alzheimer’s Disease. |
| Additional Investigators | |
| Investigator's Name: | Shiloh Echevarria-Cooper |
| Proposed Analysis: | We propose to use the ADNI diffusion MRI, structural MRI, and olfactory perceptual data to explore anatomical changes underlying olfactory decline in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). We hypothesize that olfactory deficits in AD are associated with neurodegeneration in the lateral olfactory tract (LOT). We have recently developed a probabilistic LOT atlas based on high-resolution, multi-shot EPI diffusion MRI data collected from young adults (manuscript in preparation). We will use this probabilistic atlas to identify the location of the LOTs in ADNI data from participants with AD and age-matched controls. We will estimate diffusion microstructure such as fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) in LOT voxels, as a measure of potential neurodegeneration. These microstructure values will be averaged within individual segments for each subject, allowing us to compare LOT white matter integrity between participants with AD and healthy controls. We expect lower FA values and higher MD values in the LOT in the AD compared to the control group. In addition, we will test correlations between diffusion microstructure measures in the LOT, olfactory perceptual scores, and age, within and across groups. Further, we plan to compare MD values in olfactory regions of interest such as amygdala, anterior olfactory nucleus, entorhinal cortex, frontal piriform cortex, olfactory tubercle, and temporal piriform cortex between groups. This will reveal which olfactory brain regions show signs of degradation in Alzheimer’s Disease. |
| Investigator's Name: | Tanya Bhargava |
| Proposed Analysis: | We propose to use the ADNI diffusion MRI, structural MRI, and olfactory perceptual data to explore anatomical changes underlying olfactory decline in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). We hypothesize that olfactory deficits in AD are associated with neurodegeneration in the lateral olfactory tract (LOT). We have recently developed a probabilistic LOT atlas based on high-resolution, multi-shot EPI diffusion MRI data collected from young adults (manuscript in preparation). We will use this probabilistic atlas to identify the location of the LOTs in ADNI data from participants with AD and age-matched controls. We will estimate diffusion microstructure such as fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) in LOT voxels, as a measure of potential neurodegeneration. These microstructure values will be averaged within individual segments for each subject, allowing us to compare LOT white matter integrity between participants with AD and healthy controls. We expect lower FA values and higher MD values in the LOT in the AD compared to the control group. In addition, we will test correlations between diffusion microstructure measures in the LOT, olfactory perceptual scores, and age, within and across groups. Further, we plan to compare MD values in olfactory regions of interest such as amygdala, anterior olfactory nucleus, entorhinal cortex, frontal piriform cortex, olfactory tubercle, and temporal piriform cortex between groups. This will reveal which olfactory brain regions show signs of degradation in Alzheimer’s Disease. |
