MR Elastography of Cognitive Impairment

Mayo Clinic

Status

Invitation-only

Conditions

Healthy

Alzheimer Disease

Mild Cognitive Impairment

Treatments

Diagnostic Test: Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE)

Study type

Observational

Funder types

Other

NIH

Identifiers

NCT06029114

23-004125

R01AG076636 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this research is to further investigate the potential of brain stiffness as a novel biomarker for Alzheimer's disease.

Full description

Due to shifting demographics, the prevalence of dementia continues to increase in the population. To mitigate the effects of dementia will require new treatments working jointly with new methods for earlier and more sensitive diagnosis of the diseases. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a noninvasive technique for measuring tissue stiffness. MRE is a three-step process beginning with the introduction of shear waves into the tissue of interest with an external vibration source. The shear waves are imaged with a phase-contrast MRI pulse sequence and the resulting wave images are mathematically inverted to calculate tissue stiffness.

Preliminary data indicate that global brain stiffness is highly reproducible and that Alzheimer's disease causes a decrease in brain stiffness when compared to age- and gender-matched cognitively normal controls. The purpose of the proposed work is to further investigate the potential of brain stiffness as a novel biomarker for Alzheimer's disease. A comparison between brain stiffness and existing Alzheimer's disease biomarkers will help determine the biological basis of the observed stiffness change and in time may improve the sensitivity of Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and grading.

Enrollment

450 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 100 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria for Control Subjects:

In good general health
No Active neurological or psychiatric conditions, if a prior neurological or psychiatric condition was present they must have returned to normal
No cognitive complaints
Normal neurological examination
No psychoactive medications
They may have a chronic medical condition that does not affect cognition
Low Aβ load Pittsburgh compound-B (PiB) ratio <1.5

Inclusion Criteria for Mild Cognitive Impairment Subjects:

In good general health
Memory complaint documented by the patient and collateral source
Normal general cognitive function as determined by measure of general intellectual function and screening including the Short Test of Mental Status
Normal activities of daily living as documented by history and Record of Independent Living
Not demented by DSM-III-R criteria
Do have an objective memory impairment determined by the clinical judgement of the neuropsychologists and neurologists
High Aβ load Pittsburgh compound-B (PiB) ratio ≥1.5

Inclusion Criteria for Alzheimer's Disease Subjects:

In good general health
Dementia not a result of other medical or psychiatric conditions
Diagnosis of dementia made according to DSM-III-R criteria
Do have objective memory impairment determined by the clinical judgement of the neuropsychologists and neurologists
High Aβ load Pittsburgh compound-B (PiB) ratio ≥1.5

Exclusion Criteria:

Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment due to a known genetic mutation
Major depression
History of primary or metastatic intracranial neoplasm, significant head trauma, intra-cerebral hemorrhage, hemispheric stroke
Contradictions to MRI imaging including but not limited to cardiac pacemakers, intraocular or intracranial metal, or other MRI incompatible devices.
Pregnant women. Women of child bearing potential will be given a urine pregnancy test prior the MRI scan. Results will be shared with the participant. If the pregnancy test is positive, the participant will not be included within the study