Other Areas of Research
The previous sections have described areas of research focused on finding ways to preserve cognitive function or prevent cognitive decline and AD. Other areas of research may seem to be less directly related to prevention, but their findings, too, may someday lead to successful prevention interventions. For example, studies at the cellular and molecular levels are revealing the wide range of processes that interfere with, or enhance, the function and survival of nerve cells in the brain. Scientists hope this knowledge will ultimately help them identify targets for AD prevention interventions.
Another area, AD translational research, is receiving much attention. This area of research allows knowledge from the laboratory to be applied as quickly as possible to potential new tests or interventions in clinical settings. NIA is pursuing a variety of translational studies to expand possible avenues for AD prevention and treatment strategies, and eventually, the number of clinical trials to test them in humans.
Testing AD prevention strategies involves recruiting healthy older adults into clinical trials, and NIA is studying various ways to make it easier for people to participate in this research. In one study, the Healthy Aging and Memory Study, investigators are examining whether new questionnaires and survey instruments that a person can complete at home are as effective as a traditional clinic evaluation at identifying cognitive change over time and determining when people develop MCI or AD. Another study is testing three home-based technologies that assess cognition, daily functioning, mood, and other factors over time. Findings from both studies will provide valuable information on how these techniques can be used in AD prevention trials and could significantly reduce the cost of conducting such trials and increase the number of people who participate.
Technologies Help Scientists Develop Diagnostic Procedures
One important goal of AD research is to develop better diagnostic strategies for identifying individuals who are at high risk of developing the disease or who are at very early stages of the disease. For example, scientists are trying to discover whether changes in certain biological compounds present in blood, urine, or cerebrospinal fluid could indicate early AD changes in the brain. Understanding more about these biological markers, how they work, and what causes their levels to change is important in helping scientists answer questions about what initiates AD and how it develops. Learning more about these markers also may help scientists track whether certain medications are having their intended effects early in the course of the disease and may some day lead to new prevention strategies.
The use of imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), to measure brain structure and function, is also showing promise in AD research. An NIA public-private partnership—the AD Neuroimaging Initiative—is a large nationwide study to determine whether MRI and PET scans or other imaging or biological markers can be used to measure changes in older participants who have MCI or AD or who are cognitively normal. The measurements may one day identify people early in the disease process and also help physicians assess the response to treatment much more rapidly and less expensively than is possible today.
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