Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2012

Mentor:                       Hao Huang, PhD
Department:              Advanced Imaging Research Center
Room number:         NE 3.204
Mail Code:                 8542
Phone number:        214 645-2881
E-mail:                       hao.huang@utsouthwestern.edu
Project title:               White matter biomarker of subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI)

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): STU 122010-051

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): 

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects)

Brief Description of Project:

Developing novel imaging biomarkers for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is pivotal for monitoring AD progression and efficacy of potential treatment. Accumulating evidence indicates that white matter damage associated with AD can be revealed by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).  We tested the hypothesis that there is detectable loss of integrity of limbic white matter tracts in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a prodromal stage of AD, using the tract based metrics with DTI.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:

Huang H, Fan X, Weiner M, Martin-Cook K, Xiao G, Davis J, Devous M, Rosenberg R, Diaz-Arrastia R. 2011 Aug 26. “Distinctive disruption patterns of white matter tracts in Alzheimer’s disease with full diffusion tensor characterization”. Neurobiology of Aging. [Epub ahead of print].