Canadian Dementia Imaging Protocol
Protocole canadien d'imagerie de la démence
PROJECTS USING CDIP / PROJETS UTILISANT LE PCID
The Consortium for the Early Identification of Alzheimer’s Disease (CIMA-Q) brings together more than 90 Quebec researchers and clinicians who share the common goal of advancing knowledge about Alzheimer’s disease. More specifically, our mission is to develop tools to detect the first signs of its appearance. The early identification of Alzheimer’s disease greatly increases the likelihood of successful interventions, thus improving the quality of life for seniors struggling with this terrible condition.
The goal of the Consortium for the Early Identification of Alzheimer’s Disease – Quebec (CIMA-Q) is to create an environment that will provide Quebec researchers with methodological tools, platforms and expertise to promote innovation, cohesion and visibility of Alzheimer’s disease research at unprecedented levels. Its specific objectives are:
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Develop tests to detect the disease earlier.
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Develop a toolbox combining new biological, genetic, cognitive and neuroimaging markers.
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Identify the early molecular mechanisms underlying the development of the disease.
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Identify health issues and lifestyle habits related to risk factors and factors that protect against Alzheimer’s disease.
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Implement clinical diagnosis procedures and biomarkers use in memory clinics.
The Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds or ‘The Alliance’ for short, is a landmark national research study aimed at understanding the causes and the development of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, dementia and cancer. From 2013-2017, approximately 9,700 participants, aged 35-69, from across Canada will be invited to participate in the Alliance and will undergo measures, including an MRI scan, provide blood samples and detailed information about themselves and their environments, and agree to have their health followed.
The Ontario Neurodegenerative Disease Research Initiative (ONDRI) is a research program designed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease/mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal lobar dementia, and stroke (vascular cognitive impairment). ONDRI is a province-wide collaboration between more than 50 of Ontario’s world-class neurodegenerative disease researchers and clinicians, four patient advocacy groups, the industrial sector, and more than 20 clinical, academic and research centres carried out in partnership with the Ontario Brain Institute. ONDRI is following 600 participants for up to three years who will complete assessments for genomics, gait and balance, eye measurements, neuropsychology, and neuroimaging. ONDRI’s mandate is to ensure that discoveries are transformed into new diagnostics, treatments and improved clinical practice.
Established by the Toronto Academic Health Science Network in mid-2009, the Toronto Dementia Research Alliance (TDRA) is a new paradigm for collaborative research working to create an effective platform for consistent collection and interpretation of clinical data across member institutions. It includes an academic coalition of the five memory/dementia clinics affiliated with the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine: Baycrest, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, St.Michael’s Hospital, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and the University Health Network.
TDRA is working towards positioning itself as a Canadian research center of excellence in dementia, co-morbidities and co-occurring contributory underlying disorders. The TDRA focuses on neurodegenerative diseases that result in clinical dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, fronto-temporal degeneration, dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson’s disease dementia, and vascular cognitive impairment. Together, TDRA-related clinics see approximately 6,000 patients per year, roughly 2,000 new patients, and 4,000 follow-ups. Efforts are being made to participate in provincial, national and international research collaborations to enable larger scale research capabilities required for studies focusing on the identification and treatment of subjects in the earliest stages of disease.
Quantitative O2 MRI: a new window on mitochondrial dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease.
Dr Hoge’s team has developed a new MRI-based method (QUO2 MRI) for non-invasive imaging of oxidative metabolism in the human brain. The objective of this project is therefore to optimize the method in Alzheimer’s disease patients to characterize mitochondrial dysfunction hypothesized to be a contributing factor in the onset of AD. .
350+ clinicians and researchers throughout Canada have come together to form the Canadian Consortium for Neurodegeneration and Aging (CCNA) and are accelerating progress in age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Vascular dementia, Frontotemporal dementia, and Lewy body dementia.
Based on their area of specialization, CCNA’s researchers are divided into 20 teams throughout Canada, and are working in the areas of prevention, treatment, and quality of life. They draw on the data of eight national platforms, and are supported by four cross-cutting programs, who assist teams in identifying gaps, synergies, and accelerating idea uptake.