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Neuropathologic assessment of participants in two multi‐center longitudinal observational studies: The A lzheimer D isease N euroimaging I nitiative ( ADNI ) and the D ominantly I nherited A lzheimer N etwork ( DIAN )
Author(s) -
Cairns Nigel J.,
Perrin Richard J.,
Franklin Erin E.,
Carter Deborah,
Vincent Benjamin,
Xie Mingqiang,
Bateman Randall J.,
Benzinger Tammie,
Friedrichsen Karl,
Brooks William S.,
Halliday Glenda M.,
McLean Catriona,
Ghetti Bernardino,
Morris John C.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
neuropathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.701
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1440-1789
pISSN - 0919-6544
DOI - 10.1111/neup.12205
Subject(s) - neuropathology , medicine , biomarker , observational study , neuroimaging , disease , alzheimer's disease , psychiatry , biology , genetics
It has been hypothesized that the relatively rare autosomal dominant A lzheimer disease ( ADAD ) may be a useful model of the more frequent, sporadic, late‐onset AD ( LOAD ). Individuals with ADAD have a predictable age at onset and the biomarker profile of ADAD participants in the preclinical stage may be used to predict disease progression and clinical onset. However, the extent to which the pathogenesis and neuropathology of ADAD overlaps with that of LOAD is equivocal. To address this uncertainty, two multicenter longitudinal observational studies, the A lzheimer D isease N euroimaging I nitiative ( ADNI ) and the D ominantly I nherited A lzheimer N etwork ( DIAN ), leveraged the expertise and resources of the existing K night A lzheimer D isease R esearch C enter ( ADRC ) at W ashington U niversity S chool of M edicine, S t. L ouis, M issouri, USA , to establish a N europathology C ore ( NPC ). The ADNI/DIAN‐NPC is systematically examining the brains of all participants who come to autopsy at the 59 ADNI sites in the USA and C anada and the 14 DIAN sites in the USA (eight), A ustralia (three), UK (one) and G ermany (two). By 2014, 41 ADNI and 24 DIAN autopsies (involving nine participants and 15 family members) had been performed. The autopsy rate in the ADNI cohort in the most recent year was 93% (total since NPC inception: 70%). In summary, the ADNI/DIAN NPC has implemented a standard protocol for all sites to solicit permission for brain autopsy and to send brain tissue to the NPC for a standardized, uniform and state‐of‐the‐art neuropathologic assessment. The benefit to ADNI and DIAN of the implementation of the NPC is very clear. The NPC provides final “gold standard” neuropathological diagnoses and data against which the antecedent observations and measurements of ADNI and DIAN can be compared.