Alzheimer's & Dementia: From Diagnosis to Treatment
Weekend Course
ORGANIZERS: Kevin Chan, Seung Hong Choi, Kenichi Oishi, Nadya Pyatigorskaya, Christin Sander, Wietske van der Zwaag
Sunday, 11 May 2025
313A
07:45 -
11:45
Moderators: Muriel Bruchhage & Leonardo Rivera-Rivera
Skill Level: Basic to Advanced
Session Number: WE-18
No CME/CE Credit
Session Number: WE-18
Overview
This course will cover the basic neurobiology and pathology of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. It will cover established imaging biomarkers (PET and MRI), their limitations, and advanced analysis in MRI can add value. The course will also cover the latest advances in imaging changes in the glymphatics and meningeal lymphatics in AD. Finally, the power of large datasets in dementia will be demonstrated, and the value of monitoring novel therapeutics with imaging biomarkers will be discussed.
Target Audience
Scientists and clinicians interested in imaging and Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Educational Objectives
As a result of attending this course, participants should be able to:
• Describe clinical and new developing imaging biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease and dementia;
• Describe disease progression and how MRI can support diagnosis; and
• Describe the power of multimodal biomarkers, advanced analysis and large datasets.
| 07:45 | | Basic Neuropathology of AD TBD |
| 08:15 | | Disrupted Signaling: E/I Balance in AD Kamalini Ranasinghe |
| 08:45 | | Biomarkers for Diagnosis: PET/MRI Yuhei Takado |
| 09:15 | | Break & Meet the Teachers |
| 09:45 |  | Large Data in Dementia: CLARITi, SCAN, ADNI, ADRC Arvin Forghanian-Arani Keywords: Neuro: Neurodegeneration The course outlines the history, workflow, quality control, and MRI protocols of three large multi-center studies; the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), SCAN, and the Consortium for Clarity in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Research Through Imaging (CLARITi). An overview will be given of the structural cores that contribute to the database and that complement the imaging biomarkers. The imaging metrics outputs, as well as some new efforts to ensure patient privacy protection, through defacing/refacing will be briefly discussed. Quality control and standardization approaches for robust data acquisition across these 3 studies will be explained. |
| 10:15 | | Glymphatics & Meningeal Lymphatics in Alzheimer's Disease and MR-based imaging Sung-Hong Park Keywords: Neuro: Brain, Contrast mechanisms: Flow, Contrast mechanisms: fMRI Lymphatic vessels in the CNS were long overlooked, with the CNS considered immune-privileged. This notion changed in 2015 with the (re)discovery of meningeal lymphatic vessels (mLVs), which drain brain waste, antigens, and immune cells. Basal mLVs and the nasopharyngeal lymphatic plexus are now recognized as key CSF drainage pathways. Before this, the glymphatic system was proposed for brain waste clearance, though controversies remain. Studying waste clearance is challenging due to imaging limitations. This talk presents glymphatics and meningeal lymphatics in Alzheimer’s disease, highlighting MRI techniques like ASL-based imaging for mLV flow, CSF pulsation, and blood-CSF interactions. |
| 10:45 | | Novel Therapeutics Including ARIA: Screening & Follow-Up Ana Franceschi |