Alzheimer's Disease Core Center: Pilot Project: Olfactory Probes of Limbic Function: Potential Biomarkers of Alzheimers Disease?

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant):This is a proposal to renew the funding of the Alzheimer?s Disease Center(ADC) at Northwestern University. According to the Alzheimer?s Association,more than 80,000 individuals in the Chicago area suffer from AD and otherdementias. The Northwestern ADC was established in 1996 to serve thispopulation and give it better access to clinical and research programs relatedto dementia. In the past 4 years, the Clinical Core has evaluated 1970subjects and hosted nearly 6000 patient visits. The Neuropathology Core hasacquired 137 brains and 540 DNA specimens which are being used by 88 researchprojects. The Northwestern ADC has joined 5 consortia of NIA funded centers,and constructed a prize-winning AD website which attracts nearly 15,000 visitsper month. Northwestern University has granted the ADC an autonomous multi-departmentalstatus with a direct reporting relationship to the Dean, setaside nearly 6000 square feet of space for its research and clinical use, andlaunched a $5M campaign to support new programs. Fifty faculty members from 15departments at Northwestern have over $7.4M of direct funding for the year1999-2000 in areas related to AD and have authored more than 200 publicationsin this area of research in the past 4 years. During the next 5-year cycle,the Administrative Core will provide leadership, central coordination, andfiscal management for the ADC and will attract new talent to this area ofresearch through its pilot grants program. The Clinical Core will registerneuropsychologically characterized patients and controls within the context of"therapeutic encounters" and will establish "dementia profiles" to be used forclinicopathological correlations. The Neuropathology Core will enable timelyautopsies and definitive microscopic diagnoses. Through the availability of astereological facility and whole-hemisphere sectioning, the Neuropathologycore will create an infrastructure to facilitate research where molecularinsights and clinical patterns need to be correlated with the system-leveldistribution of neuropathological markers. The Education Core will coordinateintra- and extra-mural educational activities with a special focus on primaryproviders caring for underserved minorities. Community outreach programsserving the African-American and Hispanic populations will be expanded.Through the publication of quarterly newsletters, regional Memory HealthFairs, and Town Hall meetings, the Education Core will continue to developmutually beneficial communication channels with the community served at thisADC.