Amyloid Plaque and Tangle Imaging in Aging and Dementia

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Status

Completed

Conditions

Alzheimer's Disease

Memory Disorders

Study type

Observational

Funder types

Other

NIH

Identifiers

NCT00355498

IA0093

P01AG025831-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

P01-AG024831-01

Details and patient eligibility

About

Amyloid senile plaques (SPs) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) are neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that also accumulate in key brain regions in association with normal aging. This project will expand an established program in early detection and prevention of AD designed (1) to identify presymptomatic persons most likely to benefit from early intervention and (2) to provide an objective, noninvasive means to monitor therapeutic trials.

Full description

A total of 165 volunteers will be recruited for this 2-year study. Participants will receive a baseline clinical and imaging evaluation and one follow-up evaluation two years later. These evaluations will include clinical and neuropsychological assessments, structural MRI and/or PET scans. Additional scans and scanning procedures will be performed on a subset of participants and participant visits, including serotonin density levels.

Enrollment

170 patients

Sex

All

Ages

30+ years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Agreement to participate in a clinical and brain imaging study
Age 30 years or older
No significant cerebrovascular disease - modified Ischemic Score of ≤ 4
For volunteers with MCI or dementia, there must be a family member or potential caregiver available
Adequate visual and auditory acuity to allow neuropsychological testing
Screening laboratory tests and ECG without significant abnormalities that might interfere with the study.

Exclusion criteria

Evidence of neurologic or other physical illness that could produce cognitive deterioration; in addition to a physical and neurological examination, volunteers will be screened for Parkinson's disease
History of myocardial infarction within the previous year or unstable cardiac disease
Uncontrolled hypertension (systolic BP>170 or diastolic BP>100), history of significant liver disease, clinically significant pulmonary disease, diabetes, or cancer
Major psychiatric disorders, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia
Because medications can affect cognitive functioning, volunteers needing medicines that could influence psychometric test results will be excluded; use of any of the following drugs will also exclude volunteers: centrally active beta-blockers, narcotics, clonidine, anti-Parkinsonian medications, benzodiazepines, systemic corticosteroids, and medications with significant cholinergic or anticholinergic effects, anti-convulsants, or warfarin
Current diagnosis or history of alcoholism or drug dependence
Evidence of untreated depression as determined by a HAM-D (Hamilton, 1960) score of ≥ 12 (17-item version) or untreated anxiety by a score of ≥ 8 on the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A; Hamilton, 1959)
Use of any investigational drugs within the previous month or longer, depending on drug half-life
Contraindication for MRI scan (e.g., metal in body, claustrophobia)