Rapidly Progressive AD

 


   Note: An Official Proposal has not been Submitted to NACC.


   Lead Investigator:    Jonathan Haines
   Institution      :    Case Western Reserve University
   E-Mail           :    jlh213@case.edu
   Proposal ID      :    1715



   Proposal Description:
   Rapidly progressive late onset AD (rpAD) is an extreme subgroup of AD individuals who experience a rapid progression of dementia and/or a reduced survival when compared with typical more slowly progressive AD. A number of studies have identified neuropathological changes that may be unique to rpAD, however, there has been little investigation into potential genetic causes for rpAD. Previous studies have indicated that the APOE ??4 allele is not a major cause of rpAD and there have also been studies that looked at alleles at the PRNP gene (associated with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and Fatal Familial Insomnia), with conflicting results. However, the role of other genetic variation(s) in the etiology of rpAD is unknown. The main goal of the current study is to identify genetic variations that contribute to risk for development of rpAD, with the hope that these analyses will identify genetic variations that have a significant role in the progression rate of AD for all patients. These data will help to advance our understanding of the diverse molecular pathogenesis that drives AD progression, and should lead to testable hypotheses for the development of therapeutics to slow down this process.