High-resolution post-mortem brain imaging to map Alzheimer’s and related brain changes
Ex Vivo Imaging of the Aging Brain to Discover Morphology/Pathology Associations
Using detailed scans of donated brains and matching tissue samples to link Alzheimer’s and other brain pathologies with nerve cell loss and brain shrinkage in people who had dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11457050 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you or a loved one agrees to brain donation, the team will scan the intact brain hemisphere with very high-resolution 7 Tesla MRI after death. They will match those images to microscopic tissue samples taken from selected gray matter areas and around white matter lesions to identify specific proteinopathies and blood-vessel damage. By studying 100–120 donated brains from the Penn Alzheimer’s Research Center, they aim to see how mixed pathologies like TDP-43, alpha-synuclein, non‑AD tau, and small vessel disease each contribute to neuronal loss and cortical thinning. This approach links imaging and histology so future in-life tests might better identify co-existing causes of dementia.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia (or their families) who agree to brain donation through the University of Pennsylvania Alzheimer’s Research Center.
Not a fit: People without dementia, or those who are unwilling or unable to donate brain tissue after death, will not be eligible to participate or receive direct benefit from this autopsy-based work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help doctors and researchers recognize and separate multiple causes of brain damage in Alzheimer’s, guiding better-targeted tests and treatments in the future.
How similar studies have performed: Prior ex vivo MRI studies with matched histology have linked imaging features to specific pathologies in small series, but applying high-resolution 7T MRI across 100+ Alzheimer’s brains to map co-pathologies is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yushkevich, Paul a. — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Yushkevich, Paul a.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.