Christopher Rowe, Ph.D.
Austin Health
Melbourne, Australia

2008 Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Study of the Elderly Grant

AIBL is a long term study sponsored by the Australian Government of 1000 individuals who are either normal, have mild memory impairment or have early Alzheimer's Disease. One quarter have had a brain MRI scan and a PiB PET scan. The PiB PET scan is for the detection of beta amyloid deposits in the brain that are thought to have an important role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Thanks to the funding provided by this grant from the Alzheimer's Association, the brain scans, clinical information, memory test and blood test results from these 250 individuals will now be made available to researchers around the world through the ADNI website. The tests will be repeated after 18 months giving researchers the opportunity to look for relationships between memory decline, amyloid deposits, brain shrinkage and blood test results. The aims are to learn more about the development of Alzheimer's disease and develop better tests for earlier and more accurate diagnosis so that future treatments can be given as early as possible and to the right patients.