Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center

Last updated
Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center
MissionDiagnosis, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s and other dementias
HeadDavid A. Bennett, M.D., Director
Address1750 West Harrison Street, Suite 1000, Chicago, IL 60612
Location
Chicago
,
Illinois
Coordinates 41°52′25″N87°40′18″W / 41.8736016°N 87.6717202°W / 41.8736016; -87.6717202
Website www.rushu.rush.edu/research/departmental-research/rush-alzheimers-disease-center

The Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center (RADC) [1] is an independent research center located in the Medical College of Rush University Medical Center. The Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center is one of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers in the U.S. designated and funded by the National Institute on Aging. [2]

The RADC was founded by Dr. James Schoenberger in 1985. Dr. David A Bennett, a neurologist, became the third RADC Director in 1998 following Dr. Jacob H Fox. From 2001-2022, Dr. Bennett also led Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) funded by the NIA following Dr. Denis Evans who lead the ADRC from 1991-2001; this grant is now led by neuropathologist and neurologist Dr. Julie A Schneider. [3]

The RADC is a leader in research into the causes, treatments, and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. [4]

One of its earliest research projects was the Religious Orders Study. [5] The Religious Orders Study, led by Dr. Bennett, was initially funded by the National Institute on Aging in 1993. It is a study utilizing volunteers in religious communities from across the United States including priests, nuns, and brothers, who agree to annual clinical evaluation and brain donation after death, providing doctors with an opportunity to look for postmortem correlations between lifestyle and Alzheimer’s disease. [6]

The RADC's Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP), [7] also led by Dr. Bennett, followed in 1997. This project enrolls participants from northeastern Illinois all of whom agree to annual clinical evaluation and blood donation, and most agree to wear biomedical devices and undergo brain imaging. Notably all participants agree to donate brain, spinal cord, muscle and nerve at death. [8] [9]

Scientists at the RADC use the brains and other biospecimens to study a broad range of factors relating to Alzheimer's disease and other common diseases of age, and share tissue samples and data with other researchers across the globe. [10]

Both studies are ongoing, and have created research opportunities at Rush University, including the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay MIND diet research led by the late Dr. Martha Clare Morris, the Minority Aging Research Study (MARS) led by Dr. Lisa L. Barnes who also leads the Clinical (African American) Core of the [ clarification needed ] , which are studies of decline in cognitive function and risk of Alzheimer's disease in older African Americans, with brain donation [11] [ failed verification ] after death added as an optional component, [12] the Latino CORE led by Dr David Marquez from the University of Illinois. [13] The RADC also has a neuroimaging Core led by MRI Physicist Dr. Konstantinos Arfanakis. [14]

While maintaining cognitive function is the number one priority of most older persons, their second concern is loss of mobility. Thus, Dr. Aron Buchman leads a portfolio of studies on motor function that incorporate a variety of biomedical devices worn in the home. [15] [16]

In addition to a focus on the treatment and prevention of common chronic diseases of older persons, the RADC also has a portfolio of work on health and financial decision making and susceptibly to scams and fraud led by Dr. Patricia Boyle. [17] [11]

More recently the RADC established the Pathology Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Study (PARDoS) in Sao Paulo Brazil led by Dr. Bennett at the RADC and Dr. Jose Farfel at the RADC and the Instituto de Assistência Médica ao Servidor Público Estadual (IAMSPE). The study collects brains and other organs from Blacks, Mixed and White decedents age 18+ from IAMSPE and the Santo Andre and Guarulhos autopsy services in the southwest and northwest suburbs of Sao Paulo.

The RADC also has a Sequencing Core and Human Cell Modeling Group led by neurologist and stem cell biologist Dr. Yanling Wang. [18]

The Rush Memory Clinic is a tertiary care referral clinic for the evaluation of patients for possible dementia. Dr. Zoe Arvanitakis is the Clinical Director.

The RADC also conducts a wide range of clinical trials and other patient oriented research for the treatment and prevention of dementia, and for other conditions of aging.

The RADC also sponsors an array of community outreach and education programs. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alois Alzheimer</span> German psychiatrist and neuropathologist (1864–1915)

Alois Alzheimer was a German psychiatrist, neuropathologist and colleague of Emil Kraepelin. He is credited with identifying the first published case of "presenile dementia", which Kraepelin later identified as Alzheimer's disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neurology</span> Medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system

Neurology is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the nervous system, which comprises the brain, the spinal cord and the peripheral nerves. Neurological practice relies heavily on the field of neuroscience, the scientific study of the nervous system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dementia</span> Long-term brain disorders causing impaired memory, thinking and behavior

Dementia is a syndrome associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by a general decline in cognitive abilities that affects a person's ability to perform everyday activities. This typically involves problems with memory, thinking, behavior, and motor control. Aside from memory impairment and a disruption in thought patterns, the most common symptoms of dementia include emotional problems, difficulties with language, and decreased motivation. The symptoms may be described as occurring in a continuum over several stages. Dementia ultimately has a significant effect on the individual, their caregivers, and their social relationships in general. A diagnosis of dementia requires the observation of a change from a person's usual mental functioning and a greater cognitive decline than might be caused by the normal aging process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Binswanger's disease</span> Medical condition

Binswanger's disease, also known as subcortical leukoencephalopathy and subcortical arteriosclerotic encephalopathy, is a form of small-vessel vascular dementia caused by damage to the white brain matter. White matter atrophy can be caused by many circumstances including chronic hypertension as well as old age. This disease is characterized by loss of memory and intellectual function and by changes in mood. These changes encompass what are known as executive functions of the brain. It usually presents between 54 and 66 years of age, and the first symptoms are usually mental deterioration or stroke.

Cognitive disorders (CDs), also known as neurocognitive disorders (NCDs), are a category of mental health disorders that primarily affect cognitive abilities including learning, memory, perception, and problem-solving. Neurocognitive disorders include delirium, mild neurocognitive disorders, and major neurocognitive disorder. They are defined by deficits in cognitive ability that are acquired, typically represent decline, and may have an underlying brain pathology. The DSM-5 defines six key domains of cognitive function: executive function, learning and memory, perceptual-motor function, language, complex attention, and social cognition.

Memory disorders are the result of damage to neuroanatomical structures that hinders the storage, retention and recollection of memories. Memory disorders can be progressive, including Alzheimer's disease, or they can be immediate including disorders resulting from head injury.

Cognitive reserve is the mind's and brain's resistance to damage of the brain. The mind's resilience is evaluated behaviorally, whereas the neuropathological damage is evaluated histologically, although damage may be estimated using blood-based markers and imaging methods. There are two models that can be used when exploring the concept of "reserve": brain reserve and cognitive reserve. These terms, albeit often used interchangeably in the literature, provide a useful way of discussing the models. Using a computer analogy, brain reserve can be seen as hardware and cognitive reserve as software. All these factors are currently believed to contribute to global reserve. Cognitive reserve is commonly used to refer to both brain and cognitive reserves in the literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chronic traumatic encephalopathy</span> Neurodegenerative disease caused by head injury

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head. The encephalopathy symptoms can include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. The disease often gets worse over time and can result in dementia.

The Nun Study of Aging and Alzheimer's Disease is a continuing longitudinal study, begun in 1986, to examine the onset of Alzheimer's disease. David Snowdon, an Epidemiologist and the founding Nun Study investigator, started the Nun Study at the University of Minnesota, later transferring the study to the University of Kentucky in 1990. In 2008, with Snowdon's retirement, the study returned to the University of Minnesota. The Nun Study was very briefly moved from the University of Minnesota to Northwestern University in 2021 under the directorship of Dr. Margaret Flanagan. The Nun Study is currently housed at the University of Texas Health San Antonio in the Bigg's Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative diseases under the continued directorship of Neuropathologist, Dr. Margaret Flanagan.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a neurocognitive disorder which involves cognitive impairments beyond those expected based on an individual's age and education but which are not significant enough to interfere with instrumental activities of daily living. MCI may occur as a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease. It includes both memory and non-memory impairments. The cause of the disorder remains unclear, as well as both its prevention and treatment, with some 50 percent of people diagnosed with it going on to develop Alzheimer's disease within five years. The diagnosis can also serve as an early indicator for other types of dementia, although MCI may remain stable or even remit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solomon Carter Fuller</span> Liberian neurologist and psychiatrist

Solomon Carter Fuller was a pioneering Liberian neurologist, psychiatrist, pathologist, and professor. Born in Monrovia, Liberia, he completed his college education and medical degree (MD) in the United States. He studied psychiatry in Munich, Germany, then returned to the United States, where he worked for much of his career at Westborough State Hospital in Westborough, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Posterior cortical atrophy</span> Medical condition

Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), also called Benson's syndrome, is a rare form of dementia which is considered a visual variant or an atypical variant of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The disease causes atrophy of the posterior part of the cerebral cortex, resulting in the progressive disruption of complex visual processing. PCA was first described by D. Frank Benson in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alzheimer's disease</span> Progressive neurodegenerative disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens, and is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems with language, disorientation, mood swings, loss of motivation, self-neglect, and behavioral issues. As a person's condition declines, they often withdraw from family and society. Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death. Although the speed of progression can vary, the average life expectancy following diagnosis is three to twelve years.

Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) is a multisite study that aims to improve clinical trials for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This cooperative study combines expertise and funding from the private and public sector to study subjects with AD, as well as those who may develop AD and controls with no signs of cognitive impairment. Researchers at 63 sites in the US and Canada track the progression of AD in the human brain with neuroimaging, biochemical, and genetic biological markers. This knowledge helps to find better clinical trials for the prevention and treatment of AD. ADNI has made a global impact, firstly by developing a set of standardized protocols to allow the comparison of results from multiple centers, and secondly by its data-sharing policy which makes available all at the data without embargo to qualified researchers worldwide. To date, over 1000 scientific publications have used ADNI data. A number of other initiatives related to AD and other diseases have been designed and implemented using ADNI as a model. ADNI has been running since 2004 and is currently funded until 2021.

Although there are many physiological and psychological gender differences in humans, memory, in general, is fairly stable across the sexes. By studying the specific instances in which males and females demonstrate differences in memory, we are able to further understand the brain structures and functions associated with memory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MIND diet</span> Diet intended to delay neurodegeneration

The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet, or more commonly, the MIND diet, combines portions of the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet. Both the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet have been shown to improve cognition. A team at Rush University Medical Center, including Martha Clare Morris, worked to create the MIND diet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy</span> (LATE) -- a form of dementia

LATE is a term that describes a prevalent medical condition with impaired memory and thinking in advanced age, often culminating in the dementia clinical syndrome. In other words, the symptoms of LATE are similar to those of Alzheimer's disease. 

Martha Clare Morris was an American nutritional epidemiologist who studied the link between diet and Alzheimer's disease. She led a team of researchers at the Rush University Medical Center to develop the MIND diet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Budson</span> American neurologist

Andrew E. Budson is an American neurologist, academic and researcher. He is a Professor of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, Lecturer in Neurology at Harvard Medical School, Chief of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology and Associate Chief of Staff for Education at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System, where he also serves as a Director of the Center for Translational Cognitive Neuroscience. He is Associate Director and Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core Leader at the Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

David A Bennett is a neurologist, Director of the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center (RADC), and the Robert C Borwell Professor of Neurology at Rush University Medical Center.Bennett is also Visiting Professor, Instituto de Assistencia Medica ao Servidor Publico Estadual (IAMSPE), São Paulo, Brazil.

References

  1. "Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center". Rush University Medical Center.
  2. "Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers". National Institute on Aging. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
  3. Kapasi, Alifiya (2023). "High-throughput digital quantification of Alzheimer disease pathology and associated infrastructure in large autopsy studies". J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 82 (Nov 20): 976–986. doi:10.1093/jnen/nlad086. PMC   11032710 . PMID   37944065.
  4. Illinois Department of Public Health (January 2014). "Alzheimer's Disease Illinois State Plan 2014-2017 Report and Recommendations" (PDF). Springfield, IL, US: State of Illinois. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
  5. Biemer, John (2010-08-13). "Nuns' other calling? Fighting Alzheimer's". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
  6. Bennett, David (2018). "Religious Orders Study and Rush Memory and Aging Project". J Alzheimers Dis. 64 (s1): S161–S189. doi:10.3233/JAD-179939. PMC   6380522 . PMID   29865057.
  7. "Memory and Aging Project, Epidemologic Research, Rush University". Rush University. Retrieved 2018-01-08.
  8. Bennett, D. A.; Schneider, J. A.; Buchman, A. S.; Barnes, L. L.; Boyle, P. A.; Wilson, R. S. (2012). "Overview and Findings from the Rush Memory and Aging Project". Current Alzheimer Research. 9 (6): 646–663. doi:10.2174/156720512801322663. PMC   3439198 . PMID   22471867 . Retrieved 2016-12-02.
  9. Bennett, David (2018). "Religious Orders Study and Rush Memory and Aging Project". J Alzheimers Dis. 64 (s1): S161–S189. doi:10.3233/JAD-179939. PMC   6380522 . PMID   29865057.
  10. Springen, Karen (2011-03-08). "Rush Medical Center Docs Seek to Solve Alzheimer's Mystery". Chicago Magazine.
  11. 1 2 Yu, Lei (2023). "Vulnerability of Older Adults to Government Impersonation Scams". JAMA Netw Open. 6 (Sep 5): e2335319. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.35319. PMC   10517371 . PMID   37738048.
  12. L. Barnes, Lisa; C. Shah, Raj; T. Aggarwal, Neelum; A. Bennett, David; A. Schneider, Julie (2012-06-01). "The Minority Aging Research Study: Ongoing Efforts to Obtain Brain Donation in African Americans without Dementia". Current Alzheimer Research. 9 (6): 734–745. doi:10.2174/156720512801322627. ISSN   1567-2050. PMC   3409294 . PMID   22471868.
  13. Marquez, David (2020). "Representation of Older Latinxs in Cohort Studies at the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center". Neuroepidemiology. 54 (5): 404–418. doi:10.1159/000509626. PMC   7572552 . PMID   32906123.
  14. Wu, Yingjuan (2023). "High resolution 0.5mm isotropic T1-weighted and diffusion tensor templates of the brain of non-demented older adults in a common space for the MIITRA atlas". NeuroImage. 282 (Nov 15): 120387. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120387. PMC   10625170 . PMID   37783362.
  15. Dawe, Robert (2018). "Association Between Quantitative Gait and Balance Measures and Total Daily Physical Activity in Community-Dwelling Older Adults". The Journals of Gerontology: Series A. 73 (Apr 17): 636–642. doi:10.1093/gerona/glx167. PMC   5905609 . PMID   28957994.
  16. Buchman, Aron (2023). "Correlated decline of cognitive and motor phenotypes and ADRD pathologies in old age". Alzheimer's & Dementia. 19 (Sep): 4150–4162. doi:10.1002/alz.13347. PMC   10524791 . PMID   37303291.
  17. Boyle, Patricia (2022). "Degraded Rationality and Suboptimal Decision-Making in Old Age: A Silent Epidemic With Major Economic and Public Health Implications". Public Policy Aging Rep. 32 (Apr 26): 45–50. doi:10.1093/ppar/prac003. PMC   9118064 . PMID   35607367.
  18. Kearns, Nicola (2023). "Dissecting the human leptomeninges at single-cell resolution". Nat Commun. 14 (Nov 3): 7036. Bibcode:2023NatCo..14.7036K. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-42825-y. PMC   10624900 . PMID   37923721.
  19. "Community Education and Outreach - Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center - Rush University". www.rushu.rush.edu. Retrieved 2018-01-26.