Name of Fellow


Tim Shakespeare

Institution


Funder


Alzheimer's Research UK

Contact information of fellow


Country


United Kingdom

Title of project/programme


Selective vulnerability to Alzheimer’s disease – understanding changes in white matter connectivity of the visual system in Posterior Cortical Atrophy

Source of funding information


Alzheimer's Research UK

Total sum awarded (Euro)


€ 152,747

Start date of award


01/10/13

Total duration of award in years


3.0

The project/programme is most relevant to:


Alzheimer's disease & other dementias

Keywords


Imaging Biomarkers | Structural MRI

Research Abstract


This project will investigate changes in white matter structure in Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA), an atypical form of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) where the back of the brain and individuals’ visual processing are affected first. The brain works through networks of grey-matter (brain cells) connected by white-matter (cabling between cells). Recent evidence suggests that AD might target and spread through the brain via these networks. Whilst many studies have investigated grey matter loss in AD, far fewer have investigated changes in the organisation of white matter, and specific structural brain networks.

Investigating PCA provides a unique opportunity to study AD where the network affected is the visual system, due to a different pattern of sensitive and resistant neuronal populations compared with typical AD. This has advantages because it is a very well-understood system in healthy people, and one can investigate structures that are connected to the brain but are known not to be the primary site of onset for AD (optic tract and eye). This can help reveal whether the disease progresses along white matter tracts, and will improve our characterisation and understanding of why people with this unusual form of AD show such different patterns of vulnerability to the disease.

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