Brain-imaging lab to
store data for $60M study
by anne burke
ucla today staff
UCLA will play a major role in the most comprehensive study of
its kind to measure the progression of mild cognitive impairment
and Alzheimer’s disease.
UCLA’s Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, which is equipped with
a supercomputer and cutting-edge production facilities, will store
and compile data for a $60-million public-private initiative that
will test whether serial magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission
tomography, other biological markers and clinical and neuropsychological
assessment can be combined to measure the progression of the brain
disorders.
“It’s an exciting project that capitalizes on our expertise
and facilities at the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging,” said Arthur
Toga, professor of neurology and associate director of the Division
of Brain Mapping at the David Geffen School of Medicine.
In addition to storing data, UCLA will be among 50 sites in the
United States and Canada at which adults — 800 in all —
will undergo testing. Data from the study, which is headed by the
National Institute on Aging, will be used to test new therapies.
Early intervention is critical in Alzheimer’s disease, which
can begin as many as 20 years before it is diagnosed. “If
you intervene early enough with medications, you basically could
eliminate Alzheimer’s disease,” said George Bartzokis,
professor of neurology and director of the Memory Disorders and
Alzheimer’s Disease Clinic.
|
