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: | Rebecca Williams |
| Institution: | Charles Darwin University |
| Department: | Faculty of Health |
| Country: | |
| Proposed Analysis: | Project summary The aim of this research is to investigate the link between the choroid plexus (CP) and sleep quality in aging. The CP is responsible for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) production and is a critical component of the recently proposed brain glymphatic system [1]. This system is strongly coupled to the removal of waste products from the CSF during sleep [2]. Recent research suggests that the CP is enlarged in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) [3]. This enlargement might reflect abnormal CSF production due to inflammation, calcification, and vessel thickening. While sleep is known to be disturbed in AD patients, it is currently unclear whether sleep quality and CP abnormalities are related in brain aging. Therefore, the purpose of the present research is to clarify the relationship between sleep quality and CP volume and function in a large sample of older participants. This will be achieved using clinical and neuropsychology data (i.e. the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, NBI); structural MRI data to calculate CP volume, and resting-state fMRI data to characterise abnormal neural networks related to sleep quality. Methodologies Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data including 3D T1 and T2-weighted structural images and fMRI will be processed using tools such as FreeSurfer and Python for deep-learning based segmentation. Clinical data will also be utilised for statistical analyses, including mediation analysis with imaging parameters. Expected outcomes Sleep, aging and the role of the CP will be thoroughly examined using the above methodologies. In addition to journal publication, this work is anticipated to spur further research investigating the role of the glymphatic system in aging-related diseases and healthy brain aging. References [1] J. J. Iliff et al., "A paravascular pathway facilitates CSF flow through the brain parenchyma and the clearance of interstitial solutes, including amyloid β," (in eng), Sci Transl Med, vol. 4, no. 147, p. 147ra111, Aug 15 2012, doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3003748. [2] P. L. H. Chong, D. Garic, M. D. Shen, I. Lundgaard, and A. J. Schwichtenberg, "Sleep, cerebrospinal fluid, and the glymphatic system: A systematic review," (in eng), Sleep Med Rev, vol. 61, p. 101572, Feb 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101572. [3] J. D. Choi, Y. Moon, H. J. Kim, Y. Yim, S. Lee, and W. J. Moon, "Choroid Plexus Volume and Permeability at Brain MRI within the Alzheimer Disease Clinical Spectrum," (in eng), Radiology, vol. 304, no. 3, pp. 635-645, Sep 2022, doi: 10.1148/radiol.212400. [4] L. N. Koenig et al., "Select Atrophied Regions in Alzheimer disease (SARA): An improved volumetric model for identifying Alzheimer disease dementia," (in eng), Neuroimage Clin, vol. 26, p. 102248, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102248. [5] M. A. Shafto et al., "The Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) study protocol: a cross-sectional, lifespan, multidisciplinary examination of healthy cognitive ageing," (in eng), BMC Neurol, vol. 14, p. 204, Oct 14 2014, doi: 10.1186/s12883-014-0204-1. |
| Additional Investigators | |
| Investigator's Name: | Michael Pearson |
| Proposed Analysis: | Mr. Pearson is a student who will work on the proposed project. |
