CLINICAL CORE

University Of Kentucky, Lexington KY

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The overall goal of the Clinical Core of the University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Center (UK ADC)[unreadable] is to provide thoroughly evaluated, longitudinally followed, normal control subjects and Alzheimer's disease[unreadable] (AD) and other non-AD dementing disorders patients for innovative research studies at UK, other ADCs and[unreadable] institutions studying AD and aging.[unreadable] This Core will maintain a normal control population of 500 initially normal aged subjects who will be[unreadable] followed longitudinally to autopsy (all have prearranged autopsies). The major emphases will be on studies[unreadable] of normal aging and transition to preclinical AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and early AD. Control[unreadable] participants will be evaluated annually with medical, neurologic, and neuropsychological tests to define[unreadable] subtle changes in cognitive and neurologic functions. A developmental study will be carried out to attempt to[unreadable] define the theoretical entity, preclinical AD, in this population.[unreadable] This Core will maintain a Dementia Research Clinic of 200 subjects with dementing disorders who will be[unreadable] followed longitudinally to autopsy (all have prearranged autopsies). Emphasis will be placed on recruiting[unreadable] MCI, early AD, and mixed dementia (AD/vascular dementia, AD/DLB, Parkinson's Disease Dementia)[unreadable] patients. Dementia Research Clinic patients undergo the same thorough annual evaluation as our control[unreadable] subjects. The detailed evaluation of control and dementia subjects provides a database for use by UK[unreadable] investigators associated with our Center and investigators at other ADCs and institutions. Longitudinally[unreadable] followed control subjects and MCI and early AD patients will provide important data about the course and[unreadable] progression of AD.[unreadable] The Clinical Core will expand and maintain a satellite clinic for African Americans, the Kentucky Clinic[unreadable] North Minority Satellite, in Lexington to provide longitudinal follow and broadening research opportunities for[unreadable] an understudied population.[unreadable] This Core will also obtain serum, plasma, buffy coats and CSF from normal control subjects, MCI and[unreadable] early AD patients for use by investigators. The Core will participate in the NIA AD neuroimaging initiative,[unreadable] NACC funded studies, ADCS trials, and industry sponsored drug trials. The uniform data set and the[unreadable] minimum data set are collected by this Core and submitted to NACC in a timely fashion by the Biostatistics[unreadable] and Data Management Core. The close relationship between the Clinical Core and the Neuropathology[unreadable] Core allows for unique clinical-pathological correlation studies on longitudinally followed subjects to better[unreadable] understand normal aging and transition to MCI and AD.[unreadable]