Cutaway MRI brain with brain slices in the background

Imaging of Dementia & Aging Laboratory

The focus of the lab is to use advanced neuroimaging techniques to investigate brain structural and functional differences associated with aging, vascular, and neurodegenerative diseases among under-represented community populations. We also evaluate the genetics of MRI endophenotypes. The primary structural and functional imaging techniques that we have been using are positron emission tomography (PET) with FDG, amyloid and tau tracers, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Analysis

We provide MRI quality control and volumetric analysis for research studies across the United States.

Research

Our goal is to investigate the development of Alzheimer’s Disease and to discover new techniques and biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease identification and treatment.

Computation

We use and develop the latest tools in machine learning and database management to store and analyze over 20,000 MRI, PET, and fMRI scans.

Image of Circular Manhattan plot (top) displaying novel (purple) and known (dark blue) genome-wide significant WMH risk loci (dotted line: p>5E-08). Chord diagram (center) summarizing the association of genome-wide significant risk variants for WMH burden (upper section) with vascular and neurological traits (bottom section) (P<2.26E-04)
Example of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) tissue categorization. Individual lesions are depicted in baseline and follow-up fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images, as well as the respective expanded views (first to fourth columns, respectively)
Association between CFPWV and WMH, FA and FW in white matter (left panel). Stepwise mediation analysis showing that elevated SBP leads to increased CFPWV and FW which leads to reduced FA and WMH burden (right panel). For each mediation analysis, ai, bi, ci indicate the direct effects, whereas ci' indicates the indirect effect and Bi the mediation effect. **P<0.01; ***P<0.001
Image of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex region of interest analysis in (A) young subjects, (B) older subjects with minimal WMH and (C) older subjects with severe white matter hyperintensity. Chart shows group differences in mean beta values over dorsolateral prefrontal cortical region of interest (shown in Fig. 1) during ‘B’ cue relative to ‘A’ cue. Young and older subjects with minimal white matter hyperintensity had significant activation relative to older subjects with severe WMH
Cross-sectional association between mean Free Water(mFW) and executive function composite (EFC) scores (residualized against age, sex, and education) in MarkVCID, RUSH, UCD, FHS, ARIC, and UCSF cohorts
The effect of white matter hyperintensity volume on brain structure, cognitive performance, and cerebral metabolism of glucose in 51 healthy adults (2005). On left, age-related differences in white matter hyperintensity (WMHZ) volume expressed as percent of intracranial volume. On left, multiple linear regression analyses.
Multiple figues showing the association between vascular risk, plasma biomarkers, mri measures and cognition
Multi-figure graphic showcasing the genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex​