Imaging of Cognition, Learning, and Memory in Aging

Yaakov Stern

Status: Completed

Conditions: Alzheimer's Disease

Treatments: Drug: Florbetaben

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT01297114

R01AG026158 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

AAAB0596

Details and patient eligibility

About

This investigation is designed to study how the brain functions when it is performing explicit memory tasks, and furthermore how the brain systems supporting performance on these tests change as a function of aging. Implicit memory tasks may be distinguished from explicit memory tests in that explicit memory characterizes the directed or intentional recollection of previously learned information or events. In contrast, implicit (or nonconscious) memory is expressed in the facilitation of performance on some task or judgment on a stimulus owing to a prior presentation of that stimulus, without any necessary conscious awareness of the prior presentation. The investigators propose to use functional Magnetic resonance Imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity during the performance of carefully designed explicit memory tasks. Comparison of brain activity during the different test conditions will provide information about the brain areas that are involved in mediating specific aspects of performance. Both older and younger individuals will be tested in order to understand age related changes in the brain activity. In order to examine the interactions between participants' differential levels of amyloid burden and their performance on cognitive tasks and fMRI neural activation, the investigators also propose PET imaging of older participants.

Full description

The basic approach to measuring the brain activity associated with a given cognitive process (or processes) is as follows: It is known that increases in brain neuronal activity are associated with local increases in energy metabolism. Under normal circumstances, increases in brain metabolism lead to local changes in blood oxygenation in venules and larger veins. This change in blood oxygenation can be detected imaging methods which are sensitive to the differences in magnetic state between oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin.

The ultimate benefit of this research is to better understand how changes in both performance and the brain organization underlying that performance are affected by aging.

Enrollment: 294 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 20 to 70 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Aged 20-30 or 60-70
• Residing near Columbia University Medical Center
• Must be willing and able to participate

Exclusion criteria

• Have a contraindication to PET (e.g, metallic implants, pacemaker, claustrophobia, or cannot lie flat for one hour)
• Pregnancy
• Lactating Women
• Current, past, or anticipated exposure to radiation
• Significant active physical illness

Trial design

294 participants in 2 patient groups

Participants aged 60-70

Description:

Participants age 60-70 will receive Florbetaben PET tracer to identify presence of amyloid burden.

Treatment:

Drug: Florbetaben

Participants aged 20-30

Description:

Younger participants will not undergo PET scanning that will be studied with other methods.