IDC (single-award IDV) VA24112D0126XIA, WEIMING

Description of requirement

IGF::OT::IGF OTHER FUNCTIONS: CONTRACTOR SHALL DEVELOP PRACTICAL, RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE AND WIDELY DEPLOYABLE TECHNOLOGY BASED ON NEAR-INFRARED (NIR) OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPY TO ENABLE DEFINITIVE DIAGNOSES OF EARLY STAGE DEMENTIAS AND QUANTITATIVE MONITORING OF DISEASE PROGRESS AND RESPONSE TO TREATMENT. IN THIS PROJECT, THE FOCUS IS ALZHEIMER DISEASE (AD) BECAUSE OF ITS PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACT AND WELL-CHARACTERIZED NEUROPATHOLOGICAL PRESENTATION; DEMENTIA WITH LEWY BODIES (DLB) IS INCLUDED TO TEST AND DEVELOP THE POWER OF VA METHODS TO DIFFERENTIATE DISORDERS WITH OVERLAPPING CLINICAL AND NEUROPATHOLOGICAL FEATURES. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE IS TO DEMONSTRATE THE CLINICAL FEASIBILITY OF ASSESSING HUMAN NEUROPATHOLOGY IN VIVO, BY MEANS OF NON-INVASIVE, NEAR-INFRARED, OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPY OF THE HUMAN BRAIN. VA AIMS ARE: 1) TO IDENTIFY THE UNIQUE SPECTROSCOPIC SIGNATURES OF PLAQUES, TANGLES, LEWY BODIES, NUCLEI, ETC. IN DIFFUSE SCATTERING OR REFLECTANCE SPECTRA OF BRAIN TISSUE; 2) TO DEVELOP MODELS OF LIGHT PROPAGATION IN THE ADULT HUMAN HEAD TO ENABLE EXTRACTION OF THESE UNIQUE SIGNATURES FROM SPECTRA OF THE BRAIN ACQUIRED NON-INVASIVELY; 3) TO DEVELOP NIR SPECTROSCOPY INSTRUMENTATION FOR ACQUIRING SUCH SPECTRA IN CLINICAL SETTINGS AND 4) TO DEMONSTRATE THE CLINICAL FEASIBILITY OF NEUROPATHOLOGIC ASSESSMENT BY NON-INVASIVE NIR SPECTROSCOPY TO ENABLE EARLY DETECTION OF DISEASE OR INJURY, USING PATIENTS IN THE REGIONAL GERIATRIC RESEARCH EDUCATION AND CLINICAL CENTER (GRECC) AND THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY ALZHEIMER S DISEASE CENTER (BUADC).