Alzheimer's Disease

Research Problem

Well established as the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer disease affects the lives of nearly 5 million Americans (Alzheimer’s Association, 2016). Dementia is defined as the loss of cognitive functioning impairs daily life activities. Alzheimer disease is characterised symptomatically by an initial mild memory loss that can progress to more severe cognitive decline. Neuroanatomically, the disease is characterized by abnormal clumps, known as amyloid beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The only way to officially confirm a clinical diagnosis is post-mortem through an autopsy.
Much is still unknown about this neurological ailment. Previously, scientists believed that targeting the amyloid beta plaques (that are observed in the brains of patients with the clinical diagnosis) would lead to success. However, studies have shown that many older adults have an accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques present in their brains and still do not develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
Medications for Memory. (n.d.). Alzheimer’s Association. Retrieved from https://alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/treatments/medications-for-memory
Image by Health and Human Services Department, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging : p.24[1] - Alzheimer's Disease: Unraveling the Mystery, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25189169

Team BRAIN

Mission Statement

Millions of people are affected by AD, taking a significant emotional and financial toll on these individuals and their families. Currently, there are no treatments for AD or definitive predictors of its onset. Team BRAIN is looking to correlate biomarker levels and lifestyle choices with the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease. Each participant’s physical health and cognitive function will be assessed using an Alzheimer’s Cognitive Battery. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays will be used to analyze the levels of biomarkers and observe their change in concentration over a six month period, which will be compared with data from the self report survey and cognitive battery results. We expect to find that the blood biomarkers we test will become more prominent after the six month period. By analyzing changes in a set of biomarkers characteristic of the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease, we hope to propose a novel, quantitative way to diagnose the disease while paving a way to identify potential drug targets in the future.

Team BRAIN

Research Question and Scope

BRAIN's research question is, How do concentrations of blood biomarkers change within individuals diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment over a 6-month period, and can that data be analyzed with cognition progression data to better inform diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease? Our current list of biomarkers includes neurofilament light chain (Nfl), Aβ42/40 ratio, insulin, p-tau, glucose, and HBA1C. Samples before and after a six-month period will be analyzed using ELISA assays, and trends will be analyzed alongside cognitive progression data obtained using a shortened Alzheimer's cognitive battery.

Team Timeline

Fall 2019
Develop a specific research question
Organize Team
Begin collecting and reviewing literature
Complete initial draft of research proposal
Specialized from the general four year track http://www.gemstone.umd.edu/academics/four-years.html

Benjamin Wu

Web Liaison

Mahalet Samson

Web Liaison

Danika Lee

Mentor Liaison

Madhu Nallani

Team Liaison

Rejoyce Mgboji

Team Clerk

Katherine Lord

Ombudsperson Mediator

Zofia Cieslak

Ombudsperson Enforcer

Anjali Kubli

Financial Liaison

Beatrice Acha

Financial Liaison

Danny Hemani

Library Liaison

Michael Park

Ombudsperson Enforcer

Molly Ding

Student Liaison

Kelsey Corlett-Rivera

Team Librarian

Dr. J. Carson Smith

Team Mentor