ADNI data is made available to researchers around the world. As such, there are many active research projects accessing and applying the shared ADNI data. To further encourage Alzheimer’s disease research collaboration, and to help prevent duplicate efforts, the list below shows the specific research focus of the active ADNI investigations. This information is requested annually as a requirement for data access.
| Principal Investigator | |
| Principal Investigator's Name: | Ana Kim |
| Institution: | Washington University in St. Louis |
| Department: | Neuroscience |
| Country: | |
| Proposed Analysis: | BDNF is a protein that plays a critical role in neuronal plasticity (Murer et al., 2001). In the BDNF gene, a single nucleotide polymorphism produces a valine (val) to methionine (met) substitution at codon 66. Previously, BDNF levels and the BDNF polymorphism have been examined in the context of aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Also, a few human studies have investigated the association between physical activity and BDNF polymorphism. These studies, however, are limited to particular demographics or focused on specific clinical outcomes and not brain structures, domains of cognition or AD biomarkers. Thus, the primary goals of this project are to investigate the effects of the BDNF polymorphism on brain structure, cognition, and amyloid and tau accumulation and whether these effects are moderated by exercise engagement. In addition, we seek to examine whether the BDNF polymorphism moderates age effects or the effects of the presence of an APOE 4 allele. Specifically, we predict: 1) met-BDNF carriers will evidence smaller regional brain volumes, lower cognitive performance, and greater amyloid and tau aggregation; 2) exercise will moderate the relation between BDNF polymorphism and outcome variables such that individuals with a met allele show greater exercise effects; 3) met-BDNF carriers will demonstrate more rapid age-related declines than those with val/val genotype; and 4) individuals carrying both met and 4 alleles will evidence worse outcomes than individuals with just one of these alleles. |
| Additional Investigators |