Australian ADNI is the neuroimaging data from the Australian Imaging, Biomarker and Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing (AIBL). Funding from the Alzheimer's Association enables the AIBL to make its neuroimaging data available to authorized researchers worldwide through the central ADNI scientific data access portal at the Laboratory of Neuroimaging (LONI) at the University of Southern California. AIBL brain imaging data have been collected according to ADNI protocols.
AIBL is a long-term longitudinal investigation that aims to advance understanding of the causes of Alzheimer's disease, improve diagnosis, and help develop preventive strategies. The study enrolls volunteers with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as well as healthy volunteers.
Launched in November 2006, AIBL initially recruited 1,200 participants and since 2010 has added a further 1,000 participants aged 60 years and older through two locations in Melbourne, Victoria, and Perth, Western Australia. Study volunteers undergo a comprehensive examination, including neuropsychological testing, clinical assessment, and evaluation of health and lifestyle factors.
Upon enrollment, all volunteers contribute a fasting blood sample. In addition, 1,500 participants have received dual brain imaging studies with both positron emission tomography (PET) amyloid imaging and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Participants are reassessed at 18-month intervals to determine the value of various biomarkers, cognitive benchmarks and lifestyle factors as indicators of Alzheimer's disease and as predictors of future decline.
AIBL has started the 10.5-year reassessment of the initial cohort. Baseline and follow-up imaging and associated clinical data has been uploaded to the LONI website up to the 6-year follow-up time point to date. Consequently, 800 participants now have scans on LONI and this will expand as more scans pass the embargo period with the aim to eventually have all scans on LONI and also have results accessible through GAAIN.
AIBL introduced tau PET imaging to 200 of the cohort in 2015 with a plan to expand this over future years to all participants.
CSF has been collected from 250 participants.
AIBL has also successfully developed a network and scanning pipeline to substantially improve recruitment for preclinical and prodromal AD trials in collaboration with industry.
In 2010, the Alzheimer's Association awarded part of the funding needed to extend AIBL into a new phase known as AIBL-2. The second phase continues to collect clinical and cognitive data from all study volunteers as well as additional brain images from the previously imaged group.
Additional resources:
- For more detail about the AIBL, please visit the AIBL website.
- Researchers interested in applying for authorization to access to AIBL data can find further information on the AIBL website.
- Researchers seeking access to other ADNI data can visit the ADNI website.