Nighttime Behavior Prevalence in Relation to Declining Cognition in Subjects
With or Without Alzheimer???s Disease Pathology 
   Lead Investigator:    Adrienne Atayde
   Institution      :    St. Michael's Hospital
   E-Mail           :    adrienne.atayde@mail.utoronto.ca
   Proposal ID      :    1139



   Proposal Description:
   1) To examine the relationship between abnormal nighttime behaviours and the cognitive decline in subjects with autopsy confirmed Alzheimer's pathology as well as subjects with no or minimal AD pathology load with or without declining cognitive status. Expected outcome is greater presence of nighttime behaviours in cognitively declining patients with Alzheimer's pathology. Results can provide more robust understanding of the temporal relationship between the presence of sleep disturbances and the development of the pathology and clinical manifestations of Alzheimer?s disease.                             2) To investigate presence of nighttime behaviours (from NPI-Q data) to compare subjects with severe AD pathology load (based on density of NPs CERAD score and NFTs Braak  Braak staging) and stable cognitive status (based on MMSE scoring), hypothesized to represent an early stage of the disease, to patients with similar pathology but declining cognitive status, representing the later stage of disease, as well as subjects with no or minimal AD pathology load with or without declining cognitive status. (i.e. 8 groups in total: neuritic plaques - AD decliners, AD stable, Non-AD decliners, and Non-AD stable NFTs - AD decliners, AD stable, Non-AD decliners, and Non-AD stable)