Alzheimer's disease Research Centers cohort study

The objective of this research is to further leverage and enhance developed resources from 277 AD cases to expand ML pipelines for quantifying AD pathologies in multiple anatomic locations. To enhance precision medicine approaches by examining heterogeneity within this cohort through genetic admixture data to further understand the impact of risk and protective factors (clinical, genetic, and demographic variables) on pathologic presentations. We will utilize genetic data for the 277 decedents to determine global admixture components. We will examine correlations of genetic admixture to neuropathological data. Global admixture will be determined using quality controlled genotyped and imputed genotypes by ADMIXTURE to validate samples ancestral fractions for continental ancestry. SetSer80 panel of ancestral informative markers will be used to further verify self-reported heritage groups and biogeographical ancestry with Snipper. We will summarize descriptively the relationship between self-reported heritage and ancestral fractions; we plan to analyze separately to address the impact both of sociocultural differences and of genetic ancestry. Exploratory analyses will look at their combined impact.

This research aims to better understand Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and related disorders by studying brain tissue from people with AD. Traditionally, most research in this field has focused on individuals from select demographic backgrounds, so this study is unique in its focus on a more heterogeneous group. Using advanced machine learning algorithms, the researchers are analyzing brain tissue for specific signs of AD, like plaques and tangles, which can help measure the severity of the disease. The goal of this research is to improve how we understand AD across different populations, using both genetic data to explore how genetic factors influence the disease. By analyzing data from 277 AD cases, the team will look at how genetic background impact brain changes associated with AD.