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: | James Hengenius |
| Institution: | University of Pittsburgh |
| Department: | Epidemiology |
| Country: | |
| Proposed Analysis: | In collaboration with Dr. Tomas Paus (Université de Montréal), we wish to examine the relationship between cortical surface area and cognitive status in Alzheimer’s disease versus healthy controls. The aim of this work is to determine whether greater neurocognitive reserve (represented by greater surface area) is protective against cognitive impairment. This is a preliminary investigation to confirm previously published findings regarding differences in surface area in AD (e.g., Wu et al. 2021, doi:10.1038/s41398-021-01599-x). We will model regional cortical surface area as a function of diagnosis, sex, and covariates such as scan site (SA_ROI ~ Dx + Age + Sex + Cov) using cross-sectional data and eleven ROIs from the Desikan atlas. The expectation is that healthy controls will have greater surface area than participants who are diagnosed with MCI or AD. While cross-sectional analysis is insufficient to determine whether surface area differences precede or follow diagnosis, subsequent work with the neuroCHARGE consortium’s structural imaging and genetic data will complement this preliminary study. We will continue our work with neuroCHARGE consortium neuroimaging and genetic data, to examine whether genes controlling prenatal and early-childhood expansion of cortical surface area vary between AD and control participants. Details on this method can be found in Patel et al., 2022. (doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.02.959). |
| Additional Investigators |
