Alzheimer’s Disease Connectome Project

The long-term goal of this proposal is to apply the Human Connectome Project (HCP) data collection protocol and develop robust technology to accurately stage Alzheimer’s disease (AD) across the full spectrum of its progression on an individual subject basis. The onset of AD is insidious, and significant irreversible brain damage is already present by the time clinical symptoms appear. One difficulty in the field of AD research is that we have not yet established firm links between the appearance of any specific biomarker in asymptomatic individuals and the subsequent emergence of clinical symptoms. In this proposed study, we will utilize the HCP approach to establish such links by integrating HCP connectome biomarkers with well-studied molecular, genetic, and cognitive biomarkers to stage preclinical AD risks and subsequent AD progression. The success of the proposed project will open a critical window of opportunity to intervene with disease-modifying therapy.