Molecular & Neuropsychological Predictive Markers of Cognitive Decline. [ 2005 - 2007 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Prof Ralph Martins (Principal investigator) ,  Dr Ian Martins ,  Prof Frank Mastaglia ,  Prof Nicola Lautenschlager ,  Prof Satvinder Singh Dhaliwal

Brief description Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major cause of dementia in the elderly. As populations worldwide are living longer the prevalence of AD is predicted to rise markedly and in addition to the huge emotional burden on families the economic implications to the community at large is severe. Thus our aging veteran population and their spouses are particularly vulnerable to this devastating disease. Recent developments in AD research have resulted in a number of therapeutic strategies being undertaken with several of these now in phase 2 clinical trials. However for these treatments to be most effective early diagnosis is crucial. Currently, definite diagnosis is restricted to post-mortem examination of the brain for the presence of characteristic neuropathological features. This project proposes to identify individuals at high risk of developing cognitive decline leading to AD by using a battery of biochemical, genetic and neuropsychological markers. This study builds on our earlier work which followed a cohort of memory complainers and demonstrated that subjects in this group have lower cognitive scores and an increased frequency of the genetic risk factor, the e4 allele of apolipoprotein E. Follow up of this well studied cohort with more sensitive and extensive neuropsychological tests together with other genetic and biochemical markers will be important in identifying those risk factors that have positive predictive value for cognitive decline thereby contributing towards enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of current symptomatic and future drugs directed at the cause of AD.

Funding Amount $AUD 429,500.00

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant