January 30, 2025 – MarkVCID Seminar Series
Lesion network mapping
Dr. Michael Fox presented about lesion network mapping during the MarkVCID Consortium’s quarterly Seminar Series. Dr. Fox is the founding Director of the Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. He is also the inaugural Raymond D. Adams Distinguished Chair of Neurology and the Kaye Family Research Director of Psychiatric Brain Stimulation.
December 30, 2024 – Alzheimer’s & Dementia
MRI free water mediates the association between diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space and executive function in four independent middle to aged cohorts
MarkVCID PIs co-authored an article titled, “MRI free water mediates the association between diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space and executive function in four independent middle to aged cohorts”. The study found that lower ALPS index may be a surrogate marker of glymphatic dysfunction. Since this is associated with impaired EF and the association is mediated by interstitial fluid drainage in WM, there is clinical rationale for using ALPS index as a biomarker for cSVD-related VCID.
To read the article, click here.
November 19, 2024 – MarkVCID Seminar Series
MRI markers of cerebral small vessel disease
Dr. Marco Duering presented about MRI markers of cerebral small vessel disease during the MarkVCID Consortium’s quarterly Seminar Series. Dr. Duering is a Professor of Experimental Neurology and serves as Chief Scientific Officer at the Medical Image Analysis Center in Basel, Switzerland.
August 29, 2024 – MarkVCID Seminar Series
Neurovascular bases of cognitive dysfunction: From bench to bedside
Dr. Costantino Iadecola presented about the neurovascular bases of cognitive dysfunction during the MarkVCID Consortium’s quarterly Seminar Series. Dr. Iadecola is the Director and Chair of the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute and the Anne Parrish Titzell Professor of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Aug 12, 2024 – Alzheimer’s & Dementia
Leptin bioavailability and markers of brain atrophy and vascular injury in the middle age
MarkVCID investigators and UTHSCSA site team members co-authored an article titled, “Leptin bioavailability and markers of brain atrophy and vascular injury in the middle age”. The study investigated the associations of leptin markers with cognitive function and MRI measures of brain atrophy and vascular injury. It was found that higher leptin bioavailability was associated with better white matter (WM) integrity in healthy middle-aged adults, supporting the putative neuroprotective role of leptin in late-life dementia risk.
To read the article, click here.
Jul 28-Aug 1, 2024 – Alzheimer’s Association International Conference
MarkVCID at AAIC
MarkVCID will be part of featured research sessions and abstracts at AAIC including:
- Emerging biomarkers of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia: findings from the MarkVCID consortium (Brian Gold)
- Instrumental and biological validation of PSMD as a VCID biomarker (Claudia Satizabal)
- The ARTS marker of arteriolosclerosis: instrumental and clinical validation (Konstantinos Arfanakis)
- Cerebrovascular reactivity as a candidate biomarker in small vessel disease related VCID (Hanzhang Lu)
- White matter free water: a sensitive biomarker of small vascular disease for VCID research (Pauline Maillard)
- Underlying mechanisms and biomarkers of vascular pathology Cerebrovascular Reactivity (CVR) MRI as a biomarker for cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) related cognitive decline: Multi-site validation in the MarkVCID Consortium (Peiying Liu, Hanzhang Lu)
July 9, 2024 – Journal of the American Heart Association
Blood-brain barrier permeability is associated with cognitive functioning in normal aging and neurodegenerative diseases
MarkVCID PIs co-authored an article titled, “Blood-brain barrier permeability is associated with cognitive functioning in normal aging and neurodegenerative diseases”. The study provides empirical support for a vascular contribution to white matter injury and cognitive impairment, directly or indirectly via blood-brain barrier permeability, highlighting the importance of targeting modifiable vascular risk factors to help mitigate future cognitive decline.
To read the article, click here.
May 4-9, 2024 – Singapore
MarkVCID at the 2024 ISMRM & ISMRT Annual Meeting
MarkVCID PIs co-authored an abstract accepted for presentation titled, “Validation of diffusivity analysis along the perivascular space (ALPS) index as a biomarker for vascular cognitive impairment and dementia”.
April 25, 2024 – MarkVCID Seminar Series
Role of Biomarkers in SVD Trials
Dr. Geert Jan Biessels presented about the role of biomarkers in SVD trials during the MarkVCID Consortium’s quarterly Seminar Series. Dr. Biessels is a professor of neurology at the UMC Utrecht Brain Center in the Netherlands.
Feb 26-27, 2024, Tampa, FL
MarkVCID at the 5th Annual Symposium, Albert Research Institute for White Matter & Cognition
MarkVCID PI Gary Rosenberg co-chaired the 5th Annual Symposium program with Paulo Pires and Susan Brogan.
MarkVCID investigators and advisors also presented on key topics including:
- Shifting paradigms in dementia diagnosis and treatment (Gary Rosenberg)
- Cerebrovascular reactivity as a candidate biomarker in small vessel disease related VCID (Hanzhang Lu)
- Blood proteomic signatures of brain barrier dysfunction in aging and Alzheimer’s Disease (Fanny Elahi)
- Cerebral white matter free water in VCID (Pauline Maillard)
- PAA: The other cerebral amyloidosis (Greg Jicha)
- Discussion: Making an impact with our research – How do we do it? (Greg Jicha)
- The future of the science of vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) (Rod Corriveau)
February 12, 2024 - MarkVCID Seminar Series
FDA Approach to Biomarkers
Dr. Kevin Krudys presented on the FDA approach to biomarkers during the MarkVCID Consortium’s quarterly Seminar Series. Dr. Krudys is the Associate Director for Quantitative Sciences in the Office of Neuroscience at the FDA.
Feb 9, 2024, Pheonix, AZ
MarkVCID at ISC 2024
"MarkVCID2 Consortium for Clinical Validation of Biomarkers of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: Validation Framework and First 900 Subjects" was accepted as a Late-Breaking Science abstract and invited for an oral presentation.
Feb 8, 2024 - “Vascular Cognitive Disorders PIA: Emerging Neuroimaging Biomarkers from the MarkVCID Consortium”
MarkVCID at ISTAART
MarkVCID PI Brian Gold moderated a panel including MarkVCID PIs and kit leads Konstantinos Arfanakis, Hanzhang Lu, and Pauline Maillard during the February ISTAART webinar. The webinar focused on MarkVCID MRI biomarker kit development, reliability, and biological validity.
Nov 29-Dec 1, 2023 – Utrecht, Netherlands
Imaging biomarker CVR featured at Imaging Cerebral Physiology Network Symposium
MarkVCID PI Hanzhang Lu presented on "CVR as a candidate biomarker in vascular cognitive impairment," highlighting the Consortium's work in validating biomarkers across research centers nationwide.
November 13, 2023 – MarkVCID Seminar Series
Appropriateness of Applying CSF Biomarker Cutoffs from Alzheimer’s Disease to Parkinson’s Disease
Dr. Sharon Xie presented on the Appropriateness of Applying CSF Biomarker Cutoffs from Alzheimer’s Disease to Parkinson’s Disease during the MarkVCID Consortium’s quarterly Seminar Series. Dr. Xie is a Professor of Biostatistics in Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Oct 19-20, 2023 – Albuquerque, NM
Annual MarkVCID Conference
MarkVCID investigators gathered in Albuquerque, NM to discuss the Consortium's goals, site efforts to improve recruitment and retention, statistical methods for biomarker analyses, and opportunities for broader outreach. Speakers also touched on fluid biomarkers for neurodegenerative disease, the incorporation of biomarkers from an industry perspective, and where VCID research is headed from an NINDS perspective.
Sep 14, 2023 – Boston, MA
MarkVCID at MGN 6th Annual Neuroscience Day
Keynote speaker Dr. Walter Koroshetz, Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke spoke on "NeuroBiomarkers: The Bridge Across the Translational Abyss." Among the esteemed speakers, MarkVCID PI Steve Greenberg served as a panelist on the topic of noninvasive imaging & monitoring, and highlighted the Consortium's goals to validate SVD-VCID biomarkers to the point of readiness for clinical trials. The annual event aims to recognize and celebrate collaborative scientific efforts across the hospital.
Sep 13, 2023 – Gothenburg, Sweden
MarkVCID at The International Society of Vascular Behavioural and Cognitive Disorders (VasCog) Conference
MarkVCID PI Donna Wilcock (UKy) led a pre-conference master class on “The state of the field for fluid biomarkers of VCID”. To view her presentation and learn more about the need for biomarkers in VCID and the challenges in choosing them, click here.
Jul 16-23, 2023 – Alzheimer's Association International Conference
MarkVCID at AAIC
MarkVCID external advisors and investigators presented on key topics at AAIC including:
- Regulatory Considerations for Implementation of Biomarkers (Alicia Algeciras-Schimnich, Mayo)
- VCID Introduction/Overview and VCID Biomarkers (Fanny Elahi & Rod Corriveau)
- Neuroimaging Methodologies to Assess VCID (Fanny Elahi)
- White Matter Hyperintensity Growth/Regression quantification: MarkVCID multi-site Instrumental Validation (Brian Gold, Donna Wilcock, Erin Abner, Greg Jicha)
- Is it all in the vessels? Understanding the role of the vascular system in dementia, including the impact of COVID (Sudha Seshadri & Costantino Iadecola)
- Neurofilament Light and mean Free Water as prognostic enrichment biomarkers for cognitive worsening and small vessel disease progression (Pauline Maillard)
Jun 1-2, 2023 – Albert White Matter Research Institute for White Matter and Cognition
MarkVCID as part of the Scientific Planning Committee
MarkVCID PIs Donna Wilcock, Gary Rosenberg, Fanny Elahi, Konstantinos Arfanakis, Greg Jicha, Jason Hinman, Steve Greenberg participated in an annual workshop to discuss progress in the field including MarkVCID's work.
To learn more about the Institute click here.
May 23, 2023 – Lancet Neurology
Neuroimaging standards for research into small vessel disease-advances since 2013
MarkVCID PIs co-authored an article titled, “Neuroimaging standards for research into small vessel disease-advances since 2013”. The team, using similar approaches to those adopted in STRIVE-1, updated guidance on neuroimaging of vascular changes in studies of aging and neurodegeneration to create STRIVE-2.
To read the abstract, click here.
April 20, 2023 – MarkVCID Seminar Series
SOL-INCA: Aging Brain and Cognition
Dr. Hector Gonzalez presented about the SOL-INCA study and the aging brain and cognition during the MarkVCID Consortium’s quarterly Seminar Series. Dr. Gonzalez is a Professor of Neurosciences in the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego.
Feb 23, 2023 – Alzheimer’s & Dementia
Placental growth factor as a sensitive biomarker for vascular cognitive impairment
MarkVCID investigators co-authored a paper entitled “Placental growth factor as a sensitive biomarker for vascular cognitive impairment”. This paper examined the diagnostic accuracy of plasma placental growth factor (PlGF) within the MarkVCID Consortium. The study team found that plasma PlGF functions as a stable, reliable, diagnostic biomarker for cognitive impairment associated with substantial white matter burden.
To read the abstract, click here.
Jan 19, 2023 – MarkVCID Seminar Series
Strategies to Increase Diverse Enrollment & Retention
Dr. Bernadette Boden-Albala presented about strategies to increase diverse enrollment and retention during the MarkVCID Consortium’s quarterly Seminar Series. Dr. Boden-Albala is the Director and Founding Dean of the UC Irvine School of Population & Public Health at the University of California, Irvine, where she is also a Professor in the Department of Health, Society and Behavior and the Department of Neurology in the School of Medicine.
Dec 15, 2022 – Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism
Blood-brain barrier disruption measured by albumin index correlates with inflammatory fluid biomarkers
Members of the MarkVCID UNM team co-authored a paper entitled "Blood-brain barrier disruption measured by albumin index correlates with inflammatory fluid biomarkers". This paper directly compared two methods of measuring blood-brain barrier permeability to study mechanisms of white matter injury in patients with different forms of dementia.
To read the abstract, click here.
Dec 13, 2022 – Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring
MRI free water as a biomarker for cognitive performance: Validation in the MarkVCID consortium
MarkVCID investigators co-authored a paper entitled "MRI free water as a biomarker for cognitive performance: Validation in the MarkVCID consortium". This paper investigated the association between mean free water (FW) and executive function to evaluate the clinical validity of the FW biomarker kit proposed by the MarkVCID consortium. It was found that mean FW is a sensitive biomarker of cognitive decline, providing strong clinical rationale for its use as a marker of white matter injury in multi-site observational studies and clinical trials of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID).
To read the full paper, click here.
Oct 3, 2022 – Alzheimer's and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association
MarkVCID Investigator Named Editor-in-Chief
MarkVCID Principal Investigator Donna Wilcock, PhD (UKY) was named the new Editor-in-Chief of Alzheimer's and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association. As Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Wilcock will focus on expanding the dementia field to be more geographically, ethnically, and racially diverse, create sections in the journal for cutting-edge key research areas, and ensure the highest level of quality in publications from researchers around the world. The journal is ranked fourth out of 212 in Clinical Neurology Journals and first in specialized topic journals.
To view the full announcement, click here.
Sep 23, 2022 – Stroke
Willis Lecture: Biomarkers for Inflammatory White Matter Injury in Binswanger Disease Provide Pathways to Precision Medicine
MarkVCID Principal Investigator Gary Rosenberg, MD, (UNM) authored a paper entitled “Willis Lecture: Biomarkers for Inflammatory White Matter Injury in Binswanger Disease Provide Pathways to Precision Medicine”. This paper focuses on the pathophysiology of Binswanger disease, a small vessel form of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia.
To view the abstract, click here.
Jun 31 - Aug 4, 2022 – San Diego, CA
MarkVCID at AAIC
MarkVCID member Tiffany Kautz presented on “Validation and utility of plasma neurofilament light as a biomarker for vascular cognitive impairment” at AAIC. The presentation suggested that plasma NfL can be reliably measured using the Quanterix platform and that it can be a useful biomarker for stratification in VCID..
To view the abstract, click here.
Jun 21 & 24, 2022 – MarkVCID2 Virtual Kick-Off Conference
MarkVCID Consortium members gathered virtually on June 21st and 24th, 2022, to mark the beginning of the second phase of the MarkVCID study. Biomarker kits, site recruitment strategies, enrollment diversity, and participant retention methods, among other topics, were discussed during the conference sessions. Approximately 1800 study participants will be enrolled during the first two years of MarkVCID2 and then will be followed for three subsequent years in an effort to validate five biomarker kits from the first phase of the MarkVCID study.
Apr 26, 2022 – American Neurological Association
PlGF as a Sensitive Diagnostic Biomarker for Vascular Cognitive Impairment
MarkVCID investigators submitted an abstract for a manuscript entitled “Placental growth factor as a sensitive diagnostic biomarker for vascular cognitive impairment”. The abstract describes results from a multi-site observational cohort study within the MarkVCID consortium that determined plasma PlGF measured by standardized immunoassay functions as a stable and reliable diagnostic biomarker for vascular cognitive impairment and dementia. Preliminary results of the manuscript will be featured at the 2022 American Neurological Association meeting in Chicago this fall.
Apr 22, 2022 – Neurology Podcast
Priorities from the 2022 ADRD Summit with Walter Koroshetz
In discussion with MarkVCID member Dr. Gregg Day (Mayo Clinic FL), NINDS Director Walter Koroshetz summarizes key priorities and discussion points from the 2022 ADRD Summit on the Neurology podcast, hosted by the American Academy of Neurology.
To listen to the full podcast episode, click here.
Apr 14, 2022 – ADNI3 PPSB Biofluid Biomarkers Working Group
MarkVCID Coordinating Center Principal Investigator Steven Greenberg, MD, PhD, presented the Consortium's progress to date and plans for the second stage of the study as part of a speaker series hosted by the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI3) Private Partner Scientific Board (PPSB) Biofluid Biomarkers Working Group. The speaker series ran from January through August 2022, focusing mainly on biomarker programs championed by the NIA.
To learn more about the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health ADNI3 study, click here.
Mar 28, 2022 – Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring
Instrumental Validation of MarkVCID Neuroimaging Kits (FW, PSMD, WMH)
MarkVCID investigators co-authored a paper entitled “Instrumental validation of free water, peak-width of skeletonized mean diffusivity, and white matter hyperintensities: MarkVCID neuroimaging kits”. This paper describes the protocols and findings of the instrumental validation of three MarkVCID neuroimaging kits: Free Water (FW), Peak-width of Skeletonized Mean Diffusivity (PSMD), and White Matter Hyperintensities (WMH). All three biomarkers demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability, very high agreement between test and retest sessions, and showed consistency among three scanner results.
To read the full paper, click here.
Mar 22-23, 2022 – Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementias Virtual Summit
MarkVCID Investigators at ADRD Summit
Several MarkVCID investigators shared research findings at the two-day Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementias (ADRD) Summit 2022, which was hosted by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), in partnership with the National Institute on Aging.
NINDS Director Walter Koroshetz opened with remarks on prioritizing frontotemporal degeneration, Lewy body dementias, dementias with mixed etiologies and vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia, as well as the impact of COVID-19 on AD/ADRD risk and outcomes.
Among several panel discussions on Day 1 and 2 of the Summit, Drs. Rod Corriveau (NINDS), Ron Peterson (Mayo Clinic Rochester), Donna Wilcock (UKY), Konstantinos Arfanakis (Rush/IIT), Julie Schneider (Rush/IIT), Prashanthi Vemuri (Mayo Clinic Rochester) and Sudha Seshadri (CHARGE) served as panelists on the VCID Open Microphone discussion.
For Summit goals and additional resources, click here.
Dec 15, 2021 – NeuroImage
CO2-CVR as Reliable Imaging Biomarker of Cerebrovascular Function
MarkVCID investigators co-authored a paper entitled "Multi-vendor and multisite evaluation of cerebrovascular reactivity mapping using hypercapnia challenge". The results of this paper indicate that CO2-CVR demonstrates good inter-rater, inter-scanner, and test-retest reliability and has suitable instrumental properties for use as an imaging biomarker of cerebrovascular function in multi-site and longitudinal observational studies and clinical trials.
To read the full article, click here.
August 17, 2021 – Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
Inflammatory Biomarkers Aid in Diagnosing Dementia
MarkVCID-UNM investigators Arvind Caprihan, Jill Prestopnik, Jeffrey Thompson, Sasha Hobson, and Gary Rosenberg co-authored, “Inflammatory Biomarkers Aid in Diagnosis of Dementia” discussing the use of biological criteria for AD and white matter injury based on MRI to identify the commonly difficult to diagnose condition, mixed dementia (MX). Pathophysiology of each group was then measured using multiple biomarkers in CSF and blood with multiplex biomarker kits for proteases, angiogenic factors and cytokines, followed up by machine learning analyses to select biomarkers of maximal salience.
Click here to read the publication.
Aug 1, 2021 – Journal of Neuroscience Methods
Protocol to Assess Regional WMH Changes
MarkVCID-UKY investigators Ahmed Bahrani, Brian Gold, Donna Wilcock, and Greg Jicha co-authored, "Development of a protocol to assess within-subject, regional white matter hyperintensity changes in aging and dementia". The paper discusses the development and validation of a registration protocol for assessing within-subject, voxel-level alterations in WMH volume, and identifies three distinct patterns of longitudinal within-subject WMH stable growth and regression.
Click here to read the publication.
July 12, 2021 – NeuroImage
In-vivo Classifier for Older Adult Brains
MarkVCID-Rush/IIT investigators published "ARTS: A novel In-vivo classifier of arteriolosclerosis for the older adult brain”, where they describe the development of the ARTS biomarker and present the results of initial testing. The ARTS biomarker is currently undergoing instrumental and biological validation studies with the MarkVCID consortium.
Click here to read the publication.
Apr 2, 2021 – Cerebral Circulation – Cognition and Behavior
Double-Dichotomy Clustering of Dual Pathology Dementia Patients
MarkVCID-UNM investigators Arvind Caprihan, Jill Prestopnik, Jeffrey Thompson, Janice Knoefel, and Gary Rosenberg co-authored a paper titled “A double-dichotomy clustering of dual pathology dementia patients” in Cerebral Circulation – Cognition and Behavior (CCBB) – the official journal of The International Society of Vascular Behavioral and Cognitive Disorders. They concluded that the double-dichotomy clustering method based on imaging and fluid biomarkers was an unbiased way to identify mixed dementia patients and aid in the selection of more well-defined sub-groups.
Click here to read the publication.
Jan 21, 2021 – Alzheimer’s & Dementia Journal
MarkVCID Cerebral Small Vessel Consortium sets the gold standard
The MarkVCID clinical/cognitive, neuroimaging, fluid-handling, and instrumental validation protocols and procedures have been published and achieved substantial buy-in from the SVD biomarker community as the gold standard for rigorous biomarker assessment.
Read companion manuscripts I. Enrollment, clinical, fluid protocols and II. neuroimaging protocols.
Nov 20, 2020 – NACC National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center
Measuring VCID Webinar
Several MarkVCID investigators participated in NACC’s ADRC Clinical Core Webinar titled, “Measuring Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (VCID)”. MarkVCID UKY PI Donna Wilcock gave a talk on “The Potential of Fluid Biomarkers for Clinical Assessment and Trials in VCID”; Rush MPI Konstantinos Arfanakis presented “MarkVCID Neuroimaging Biomarkers of VCID”; and UCD MPI Charlie DeCarli presented “MarkVCID Overview of Diverse VCID: White Matter Lesion Etiology of Dementia in Diverse Populations”.
Click here to view a recording of the webinar.
September 2020 – International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Deep Learning Based Classifier Developed to Predict Severe Arteriolar Sclerosis
MarkVCID-Rush/IIT PI Julie Schneider and MPI Konstantinos Arfanakis in collaboration with other investigators from Rush/IIT are actively working on a study titled, “An end-to-end MR-based classification of arteriolar sclerosis using 3D convolutional neural networks,” to be published in the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Click here to read more [refer to section 1868]
Aug 25, 2020 – Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring, vol 12, Issue 1
Retinal Capillary Perfusion as a Biomarker for Assessing VCID
MarkVCID principal and co-investigators Hanzhang Lu, Danny JJ Wang, John Ringman, and Amir Kashani published “Lower retinal capillary density in minimal cognitive impairment among older Latinx adults” in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, Research to Prevent Blindness, Bright Focus Foundation, and Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.
Click here to read the publication.
July 27, 2020 – Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® (AAIC®)
External Validation of an MRI-based Classifier of Arteriolar Sclerosis
MarkVCID-Rush/IIT PI Julie Schneider and MPI Konstantinos Arfanakis presented, “External Validation of an MRI-based Classifier of Arteriolar Sclerosis at the virtual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® 2020. The presentation evaluates the performance of the current ARTS kit in two other cohorts (MARS and ADNI).
Click here to read the publication.
July 13, 2020 – American Academy of Neurology, vol 95. No. 8
Whole-Brain CVR as Biomarker for Evaluating Cognitive Impairment
MarkVCID principal investigators Marilyn Albert and Hanzhang Lu in collaboration with other investigators from Johns Hopkins University published, “Association of cerebrovascular reactivity [CVR] and Alzheimer pathologic markers with cognitive performance,” in American Academy of Neurology. The MarkVCID Consortium continues to support the development of the MRI CVR biomarker kit through multi-site implementation and validation.
Click here to read the article.
Mar 30-31, 2020 – Virtual Conference
MarkVCID Reports Progress in Multi-Site Testing Efforts
Consortium investigators nationwide participated in MarkVCID’s virtual conference to review study procedures, and share key accomplishments in multi-site testing, biomarker instrumental validation, and collaboration efforts with the SPRINT-MIND study. Members from the external advisory committee, the NINDS, and leading organizations including the BrightFocus Foundation, Novartis, Biogen, Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, and Alzheimer’s Association contributed to the dialogue to help advance the Consortium’s research in developing foundational biomarker kits for small vessel disease.
February 2020 – The BrightFocus Foundation
BrightFocus Supports MarkVCID OCTA Biomarker Kit
The BrightFocus Foundation is teaming up with NINDS and MarkVCID to develop a novel OCTA Biomarker Kit. The kit seeks to use central retinal vessel density as a biomarker of susceptibility to small vessel VCID. Five MarkVCID research sites (USC, UCSF, JHU, UTHSCSA, and Rush) will participate in multi-site testing of the OCTA Kit, which is led by Dr. Amir Kashani at University of Southern California. The protocol was developed to assess an OCTA-based biomarker of retinal vessel skeleton density in the central macula.
Special acknowledgments to BrightFocus’ Vice President of Scientific Affairs, Diane Bovenkamp, PhD, for her guidance throughout the proposal process and to the donors of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Macular Degeneration Research, and National Glaucoma Research Programs at BrightFocus.
Learn more about the protocol or read BrightFocus Foundation's announcement.
Jan 24, 2020 – PLoS ONE 15(1): e0227835
Biomarker for Cerebral White Matter Injury
MarkVCID co-investigator Jason Hinman in collaboration with other investigators from UCLA, UCSF, and UCD published, “An IL-18-centered inflammatory network as a biomarker for cerebral white matter injury,” in the journal PLoS ONE. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, the MarkVCID consortium and the Lillian R. Gleitsman Foundation.
Click here to read the publication or click here for UCLA’s press release.
Jan 7, 2020 – Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, vol 73. No.1
Correlates of WMH in Community-Based Cohorts
MarkVCID-Rush/IIT PI Julie Schneider and MPI Konstantinos Arfanakis in collaboration with other co-investigators published “Neuropathologic Correlates of White Matter Hyperintensities in a Community-Based Cohort of Older Adults,” in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Click here to read the article.
Nov 1, 2019 – Journal of Neuroscience Methods Vol 327, ScienceDirect
Confounds in White Matter Hyperintensity Quantification
MarkVCID principal and co-investigators at the University of Kentucky published “Post-acquisition processing confounds in brain volumetric quantification of white matter hyperintensities” in ScienceDirect Journal of Neuroscience Methods. Click here to read the article.
Sep 25-27, 2019 – Sydney, Australia
AAIC Satellite Symposium features MarkVCID Experts
Numerous MarkVCID investigators participated in Alzheimer’s Association Satellite Symposium held in Sydney, Australia. MarkVCID MPI Charles DeCarli led a session entitled, “Vascular Contributions: Adding the “V” to ATN Framework” in which UCSF CoI Fanny Elahi presented on Plasma Exosome-based Biomarkers; UKY PI Donna Wilcock presented on CSF biomarkers; and JHU PI Hanzhang Lu presented on imaging-based biomarkers in VCID. Dr. Wilcock also served as session lead for novel biomarkers.
Click here to learn more about the Symposium.
June 17, 2019 – Boston, MA
MarkVCID’s 3rd Annual Conference
Click here to learn more.
May 2019 – Magnetic Resonance in Medicine Vol 81 issue 5, Wiley Online Library
Novel MR Pulse Sequence & Modeling Algorithm
MarkVCID site University of Southern California published “Mapping water exchange across the blood-brain barrier using 3D diffusion-prepared arterial spin labeled perfusion MRI.” Click here to read the article.
Mar 23, 2019 – Human Brain Mapping Vol 40 issue 11, Wiley Online Library
AD and SIVD patients - Shared and Specific Brain Connectivity Abnormalities
MarkVCID site University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center in collaboration with The Mind Research Network published “Altered static and dynamic functional network connectivity in Alzheimer’s disease and subcortical ischemic vascular disease…”. Click here to read the article.
Mar 14-15, 2019 – Bethesda, MD
Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias Summit 2019
MarkVCID investigators shared research and chaired sessions at the two-day Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias (ADRD) Summit 2019 sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) organized by NIH Lead Dr. Rod Corriveau and chaired by MarkVCID investigator Dr. Julie Schneider.
NINDS Director Walter Koroshetz in opening remarks emphasized research priorities including mixed and vascular dementias to assess the outcomes of the 2013 and 2016 ADRD Summits based on current science. Drs. Corriveau and Schneider followed with an overview of ADRD progress and updates to research recommendations.
Throughout the two days, MarkVCID investigators Drs. Myriam Fornage and Donna Wilcock presented and participated in panels discussing “Health Disparities in AD/ADRD” and “Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia” respectively. MarkVCID advisors Dr. Rebecca Gottesman and Ron Petersen also raised key topics including health disparities in AD/ADRD and strategies for identifying the needs of the research community.
For Summit goals and additional resources. Click here
Mar 12-14, 2019 – Washington D.C.
GCBH discusses the Links between Vascular and Brain Health
Several MarkVCID principal investigators participated in the three-day 2019 Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) Vascular Risk Issue Specialist Meeting, a collaborative effort of AARP. Issue specialists Drs. Charlie DeCarli, Sudha Seshadri, and Steve Greenberg discussed topics including the relationships between vascular and brain health, aging, and lifestyle to brain health. Drs. Marylin Albert and Ron Petersen (Mayo Clinic) served on the GCBH Governance Committee, and Dr. Debra Babcock served as conference liaison from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
The GCBH meeting aimed to assess vascular health by looking at current science and recommendations for maintaining and improving individual health. AARP will release a vascular health report shortly.
For past reports, visit AARP’s Resource Library.
Nov 7, 2018 – San Diego, CA
Society for Neuroscience features MarkVCID
NINDS Neurodegeneration Program Director & ADRD Program Lead Dr. Rod Corriveau presented the first wave of MarkVCID biomarker kits that are moving onto multi-site testing at the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) conference.
Imaging- and fluid-based kits include: White Matter Hyperintensity, Cerebrovascular Reactivity, Peak Skeletonized Mean Diffusivity, Arteriolosclerosis (WMH & diffusion anisotropy), Longitudinal WMH from 3-D FLAIR, Endothelial Inflammation, and Endothelial Signaling Kit.
Read more – PPT
July 25, 2018 – Chicago, Illinois
Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® (AAIC®) Previews MarkVCID’s First Wave of Biomarkers
NINDS Neurodegeneration Program Director & ADRD Program Lead Dr. Rod Corriveau presented MarkVCID's first wave of potential small vessel VCID biomarkers at AAIC that will be validated and prepared for large scale multi-site clinical research including interventional trials
Based on the Coordinating Center PI, External Advisory Committee, and NINDS leadership's review, five imaging-based and two fluid-based biomarker kits presented the most compelling rationale, scientific rigor, connection to small vessel disease, cognitive outcomes, and clinical trial readiness. After multi-site testing begins for the first wave, additional biomarker kits will be considered on a rolling basis.
To support the effort to identify and validate biomarkers, the Consortium has agreed to collaborate on a series of core MRI protocols, collect a core set of VCID-related clinical and cognitive data elements and biosamples, and adopt fluid sample collection best practices. Participating sites have also implemented sharing policies and procedures that ensure seamless cross-validation of biomarkers and exchange of data. Read more about AAIC®
May 7-8, 2018 – Bethesda, Maryland
MarkVCID joins the NHLBI Working Group for VCID
Several MarkVCID investigators participated in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI) Working Group for Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia. The workshop aimed to “identify research priorities that complement and expand on the VCID Research Milestones developed by the 2016 Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementia (ADRD) Summit.” The working group’s contributions will help guide NHLBI’s efforts to support researchers in the field for the next 5-10 years.
MarkVCID PI Dr. Steven Greenberg (MGH) presented on the development and validation of biomarkers to study VCID in the MarkVCID Consortium. PI Dr. Sudha Seshadri (CHARGE) presented on atherosclerosis and dementia as known vascular contributing factors for dementia; and PI Dr. Julie Schneider (Rush) presented the impact of multiple vascular pathologies on trajectories and patterns of cognitive decline. Co-chairs Drs. Berislav Zlokovic (USC) and Rebecca Gottesman (EAC) moderated the workshop and remarked on current research in VCID and epidemiological studies. Read more
March 12, 2018 - Rochester, Minnesota
Mayo Clinic Announces Gainey Named Visiting Professor
Mayo Clinic Department of Neurology and the Division of Cerebrovascular Diseases announced Dr. Steven M. Greenberg as the 2017 Gainey Named Visiting Professor. In his presentation, Dr. Greenberg discussed aspects of the MarkVCID consortium and its aim to deliver high-quality biomarkers to increase understanding and treatment of small vessel disease. Dr. Greenberg also led a seminar in adjunct with the Mayo Clinic’s Department of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Health Sciences at Grand Rounds to staff, residents, and fellows.
The Departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Health Sciences Research at the Mayo Clinic oversee a Named Visiting Professorship in Stroke and Related Diseases provided by the late Mr. Daniel C. Gainey. For more information about the Department, click here.
February 2, 2018 - Los Angeles, California
NBCUniversal Telemundo Features MarkVCID Research Site USC’s Alzheimer’s Study
Feb 2018 – Journal articles
MarkVCID Research featured in Frontiers in Neurology and Journal of Magnetic Resonance
University of Southern California MarkVCID PI Dr. Danny JJ Wang and co-investigators refer to the first stage (UH2) of MarkVCID research in publications including:
Cerebral Hemodynamic and White Matter Changes of Type 2 Diabetes Revealed by Multi-TI Arterial Spin Labeling and Double Inversion Recovery Sequence.
Front Neurol. 2017 Dec 22;8:717. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2017.00717. eCollection 2017.Accelerated noncontrast-enhanced 4-dimensional intracranial MR angiography using golden-angle stack-of-stars trajectory and compressed sensing with magnitude subtraction.
Magn Reson Med. 2018 Feb;79(2):867-878. doi: 10.1002/mrm.26747. Epub 2017 May 7.A constrained slice-dependent background suppression scheme for simultaneous multislice pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling.
Magn Reson Med. 2018 Jan;79(1):394-400. doi: 10.1002/mrm.26643. Epub 2017 Feb 15.Integrated SSFP for functional brain mapping at 7T with reduced susceptibility artifact.
J Magn Reson. 2017 Mar;276:22-30. doi: 10.1016/j.jmr.2016.12.012. Epub 2016 Dec 30.
January 25, 2018 - Los Angeles Convention Center
MarkVCID at International Stroke Conference 2018
On Jan 25, 2018, the AHA International Stroke Conference features the MarkVCID Consortium as a part of its 2 ½-day agenda covering over 1,500 presentations in 21 categories that emphasize basic, clinical and translational sciences.
The panel discussion entitled, “Marking Vascular Cognitive Impairment: MarkVCID” begins with an overview of the Consortium goals, science, and structure from MarkVCID Coordinating Center PI Steven M. Greenberg. The panel invites Consortium PI’s Danny JJ Wang (University of Southern California) to discuss multimodal MRI biomarkers and Donna Wilcock (University of Kentucky) to discuss fluid-based biomarkers of cerebral small vessel disease. Participants learn about the challenges and successes of developing shared protocols, validating across sites, and achieving multicenter reliability for the discovery of clinical trial-ready biomarkers. Co-moderators include Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Faculty Rebecca Gottesman and Lille University Neurology & Stroke Centre Lead Investigator Charlotte Cordonnier.
Sharing a perspective from outside the Consortium, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research Director Martin Dichgans speaks about international biomarker programs and collaboration opportunities. For more information about ISC, click here
January 22-23, 2018 - USC Keck School of Medicine
Annual MarkVCID Conference
Click here to learn more
July 11, 2017 – Stroke Journal
William M. Feinberg Award for Excellence in Clinical Stroke
June 1, 2017 - Toronto, Canada
MarkVCID Participates in Harness Initiative Conference
MarkVCID Consortium Program Director & NINDS AD/ADRD Program Lead Rod Corriveau and Coordinating Center PI Steven Greenberg present the Consortium’s background and goals at the HARNESS Initiative Conference. Read more
Sep 19, 2017 - Online Webinar
Mid-year Biomarker Review
The MarkVCID Consortium held its first webinar featuring biomarkers that will be developed over the next year.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
NIH MarkVCID Press Release
"NIH consortium takes aim at vascular disease-linked cognitive impairment and dementia MarkVCID brings team science approach to small vessel disease biomarkers in the brain." Read more
February 20-21, 2017 – Houston, Texas
First Annual MarkVCID Conference
The MarkVCID Consortium held its first annual conference bringing together investigators from seven research sites nationwide just prior to the International Stroke Conference.
MarkVCID1 Framework
Alzheimer's & dementia: MarkVCID cerebral small vessel consortium:
I. Enrollment, clinical, fluid protocols (https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12215)
II. Neuroimaging protocols (https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12216)
MarkVCID1 biomarker kit validation
Alzheimer's & dementia: White matter free water mediates the associations between placental growth factor, white matter hyperintensities, and cognitive status. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.14408
Alzheimer's & dementia: Biological validation of peak-width of skeletonized mean diffusivity as a VCID biomarker: The MarkVCID Consortium. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.14345
Alzheimer's & dementia: Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) MRI as a biomarker for cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) related cognitive decline: Multi-site validation in the MarkVCID Consortium. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13888
Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease: Multi-Site Cross-site Inter-Rater and Test-Retest Reliability and Construct Validity of the MarkVCID White Matter Hyperintensity Growth and Regression Protocol. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-230629 (2023)
Aging & disease: Cross-Vendor Test-Retest Validation of Diffusion Tensor Image Analysis along the Perivascular Space (DTI-ALPS) for Evaluating Glymphatic System Function. https://doi.org/10.14336/AD.2023.0321-2
Alzheimer's & dementia: Placental growth factor as a sensitive biomarker for vascular cognitive impairment. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12974
Alzheimer's & dementia: Instrumental validation of free water, peak-width of skeletonized mean diffusivity, and white matter hyperintensities: MarkVCID neuroimaging kits. https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12261
Alzheimer's & dementia: MRI free water as a biomarker for cognitive performance: Validation in the MarkVCID consortium. https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12362
NeuroImage: Multi-vendor and multisite evaluation of cerebrovascular reactivity mapping using hypercapnia challenge. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118754
Additional review articles
Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior: National and international collaborations to advance research into vascular contributions to cognitive decline. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cccb.2023.100195
Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior: An introduction to therapeutic approaches to vascular cognitive impairment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cccb.2021.100033
Stroke: Willis Lecture: Biomarkers for Inflammatory White Matter Injury in Binswanger Disease Provide Pathways to Precision Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.122.039211
International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism: Blood-brain barrier disruption measured by albumin index correlates with inflammatory fluid biomarkers. https://doi.org/10.1177/0271678X221146127
