Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on Alzheimer's Disease (AD) in Veterans Using Imaging and Biomarkers in the AD Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI)

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common cause for dementia that has high prevalence in the US affecting almost 50% of the elderly population over 85 years of age, and costs the US economy over $100 billion a year. Evidence suggests that both traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) increase risk for cognitive decline, AD, and dementia. However, no prospective studies using imaging and biomarkers, which directly measure changes in the brain and AD pathology, have been performed to study the effects of TBI and PTSD. This study will provide novel data to test the hypothesis that Combat associated TBI and/or PTSD increase the risk for AD, and decrease cognitive reserve, determined with imaging/biomarkers, in Veteran subjects, after accounting for age and APOE genotype.