Neuroimaging Core

Given the challenges in assessing and monitoring Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRDs), particularly in preclinical stages, there is a critical need for improved biomarkers. Evidence suggests that AD pathophysiology starts decades before clinical diagnosis, involving processes like amyloid beta accumulation, synaptic dysfunction, tau-mediated neuronal injury, brain structural changes, and cognitive impairment. Advances in neuroimaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enable the detection of these changes, facilitating early diagnosis and dementia classification. PET-based neuroimaging enables direct measurement of amyloid or tau protein levels in the brain, while MRI techniques offer non-invasiveness, safety, repeatability, and abundant data for analysis and research.

As a key component of the South Carolina Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (SC-ADRC), the Neuroimaging Core will provide neuroimaging services and education to clinicians, researchers, and participants. The core will make use of three advanced PET and 3T Siemens MRI scanners strategically located in the low country (Medical University of South Carolina [MUSC]), midlands (University of South Carolina [USC]), and upstate (Clemson University [Clemson]) regions of the state. This distributed neuroimaging network will facilitate inclusion in terms of recruitment and retention across our largely rural and diverse population. This environment, offering convenience for participants and seamless integration with our Clinical and Neuropathology cores, is ideal for translational research and training.