Core B: Clinical Core

PROJECT SUMMARY– CLINICAL CORE (CORE B) The goals of the UCI ADRC Clinical Core are to 1) maintain a diverse cohort of older adults at risk or with mild AD/ADRD symptoms, 2) complete regular assessments of participants’ clinical symptoms and key biomarkers, and 3) facilitate local and national clinical research programs by sharing data and participating in collaborative projects. Clinical Core activities are aligned with other UCI ADRC Cores, sharing a mission to perform interdisciplinary research that emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and education. The overarching goal is to accelerate discovery in AD/ADRD research across special populations. The UCI ADRC Clinical Core has contributed prominently to this goal and to the national ADRC program. Increasing diversity has been a core goal; currently, 28% of participants are of Asian American race. Participant retention rates exceed the national median and 20% of participants have more than 10 years of longitudinal data. Most participants contribute to studies of fluid and imaging biomarkers and 85% of participants have donated their brains for ADRC protocols at autopsy. In the next cycle, the Clinical Core will expand both the size and diversity of the cohort. Novel measures will be included in annual assessments to evaluate aspects of AD/ADRD that are national interests and leverage UCI faculty expertise: early neuropsychiatric symptoms, sleep, bilingualism, subtle language alterations, and sensitive recognition memory. Amyloid PET, tau PET, and MRI will be regularly acquired. The Core will support multiple local research projects, including studies of LATE, cortical inflammation, language output, spatial navigation, and neuropsychiatric symptoms, as well as national projects that study topics including longitudinal brain imaging and the effects of neighborhood exposures on brain health. Clinical Core supports a robust clinical trials program to help accelerate discovery of new interventions to prevent or treat AD/ADRD. Finally, the Clinical Core is heavily engaged in training and mentorship orchestrated by the Research Education Component. In all activities, the Clinical Core engages and collaborates with the other ADRC Cores, with novel opportunities to address AD/ADRD across special populations such as those with Down Syndrome and those at oldest-old ages.