Cognitive decline through principal component analysis of a
clinical-pathologic cohort
 


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


   Lead Investigator:    Alexander Choi
   Institution      :    Banner Sun Health Research institute
   E-Mail           :    alexander.choi@bannerhealth.com
   Proposal ID      :    1805



   Proposal Description:
   The purpose of this request is to perform a Standardized Equation Model to assess cognitive worsening or disability by clinical and pathologic variables (including regional vascular, neuritic plaque, tau, TDP-43, and Lewy Body scores) converted to eigenvectors to establish 3 or more principal components. The results are to be compared to a Principal Component Analysis performed on a single-center clinical-pathologic study, the Arizona Brain  Body Donation Program (BBDP), which is aligned with longitudinal clinical and autopsy data and also includes EEG assessment of spectral power to distinguish features of Lewy Body disease including low dominant frequency, low alpha 2 power, elevation in theta:alpha ratio, and diffuse abnormalities on a visual rating score. The goal of these analyses is to test the hypothesis that pathologic data as well as EEG data can increase the predictive power of cognitive decline via an unbiased, data-driven methodology. The significance of analysis would be to define biomarkers in life that are the most robust predictors to enrich clinical trials methodology via distinct pathobiological and cognitive trajectories.