Neuroimaging Core

1 2 The PITT-ADRC has a long history of developing innovative, impactful neuroimaging technology in 3 ADRD. During the current grant period, we continued this tradition, as we were the first to publish head-to-head 4 comparisons of the tau imaging agents, Flortaucipir and MK-6240. In the upcoming application, we will focus on 5 validation and development of the novel astrogliosis tracer [F-18] SMBT-1 and comparison of established and 6 emerging blood biomarkers to imaging. The proposed work will expand our “curated, trial-ready” participant 7 database of molecular, structural, and functional brain imaging measures, which allows PITT-ADRC researchers 8 to (1) track clinical AD progression in relation to biomarkers and (2) identify risk and resilience factors that may 9 delay the course of clinical disease in the presence of ADRD pathology. Finally, the PITT-ADRC (and specifically, 10 the NIC) will work with two affiliated studies, both led by Dr. Cohen (P01AG025204 and R01AG072641), to 11 augment our Neuroimaging, Clinical, and Blood Biomarker databases with a diverse array of participants, 12 wherein up to 50% of individuals are racialized as Black; these data are fully harmonized to the PITT-ADRC, 13 including the NIC, Clinical Core, Biomarker and Neurogenetics Core (BNGC), Neuropathology Core (NPC), and 14 Data Management and Statistical Core (DMSC), at no cost to the PITT-ADRC. The NIC has made it a high 15 priority commitment to continue to: 1) obtain MR imaging in all eligible PITT-ADRC participants; 2) obtain Amyloid 16 and Tau PET on all non-demented and moderately demented (MMSE>17) PITT-ADRC participant; 3) upload 17 these imaging data to SCAN; 4) provide quantitative and visual reports of the MRI and PET data for Amyloid, 18 Tau, and Neurodegeneration (AT(N)) to the Clinical Core, and make them available through the PITT-ADRC 19 database; 5) facilitate the availability of all ADRC NIC AT(N) imaging data to clinicians for utilization in ADRD 20 and other neurological clinical care; 6) share our neuroimaging data broadly with the research community and 21 7) develop approaches to address current statistical and methodological challenges related to AD-related 22 neuroimaging. Notably, these commitments provide the necessary data and resources for the NIC and the PITT- 23 ADRC to continue to train the next generation of AD researchers. 24 Neuroimaging Core: Summary/Abstract: