title: Imaging as a biomarker in drug discovery for Alzheimer's disease: is MRI a suitable technology?
abstract: This review provides perspectives on the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a neuroimaging approach in the development of novel treatments for Alzheimer's disease. These considerations were generated in a roundtable at a recent Wellcome Trust meeting that included experts from academia and industry. It was agreed that MRI, either structural or functional, could be used as a diagnostic, for assessing worsening of disease status, for monitoring vascular pathology, and for stratifying clinical trial populations. It was agreed also that MRI implementation is in its infancy, requiring more evidence of association with the disease states, test-retest data, better standardization across multiple clinical sites, and application in multimodal approaches which include other imaging technologies, such as positron emission tomography, electroencephalography, and magnetoencephalography.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Imaging, Neuroscience DTA pRED, F. Hoffman-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124 CH-4070, Basel, CH, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Merlo Pich
authors.affiliation: Atlantic Biomarkers, LLC, 316 NW 28th Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32607, USA.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jeromin
authors.affiliation: IRCCS San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Laboratory of Epidemiology, Neuroimaging, and Telemedicine, via Pilastroni 4, Brescia 25125, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Frisoni
authors.affiliation: Medical Imaging Science, UCL, London, UK ; IXICO Ltd, Floor 4, Griffin Court, 15 Long Lane, London EC1A 9PN, UK.
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: GlaxoSmithKline, Neurodegeneration DPU R&D China, Neurosciences TA Unit, Clinical Unit Cambridge, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2GG, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lockhart
authors.affiliation: Experimental Medicine, Neuroscience Therapeutic Area, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340, Beerse 2340, Belgium.
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Oxford University Nuffield, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.
authors.forename: Martin R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mondello
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Mental Health, 6001 Executive Boulevard, BG NSC RM 7209, Rockville, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: William Z
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Potter