292 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
This retrospective, observational study will assess the health status of short- and long-term low-dose naltrexone (LDN) users.
Given the salient role of early-life adversity and the resulting biological embedding in disease risk, there is a critical need to understand the mechanisms operating at multiple levels of analysis in order to promote effective clinical treatments and intervention efforts for survivors. An example for such an effort could be to utilize models of dynamic cellular markers as individual-level factors to account for variation in intervention response and clinical outcomes. Results of this study will lead to new knowledge about specific gene expression pathways in response to stress, and whether the response is moderated by previous exposure to early adversity, shorter telomere length (a marker of cellular aging) and self-report mental-health measures. Thus, the long-term effects of this study will advance our understanding on stress-related transcriptomic changes that play a downstream role in disease susceptibility and accelerated aging, with the goal of targeting specific pathways and genes for potential intervention studies and pharmacological treatments to reverse the effects of exposure to early adversity. For example, considering high failure rates for depression treatments, and in order to tailor individual interventions, identifying objective changes in stress-induced gene expression may help to predict intervention efficacy in clinical and non-clinical settings, as seen, for example, in breast and leukemia cancers. Thus, findings will have a range of impacts for basic science, intervention studies and clinical practice that will influence treatments to match the specific cellular processes operating within an individual.
This study examines the factors that may drive the relationship between vascular disease and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) in a large, longitudinal, multi-ethnic community-based cohort study of older adults in northern Manhattan, New York. In past research, the investigators demonstrated that accumulation of brain vascular disease is associated with risk for development of AD. The study now extends the research to examine how brain vascular disease and AD interact. In this pilot study, the investigators will obtain positron emission tomography (PET) scans to measure amyloid (one of the protein pathological markers of AD) from participants in an ongoing community-based study of aging and dementia (WHICAP). The study will include subjects who are already enrolled in the parent project. Further, this study will enroll both subjects who have never been evaluated with PET scans and those who received a previous baseline PET scan. The study plans to obtain approximately 30 repeat amyloid PET scans and 20 baseline PET scans. The investigators will also conduct transcranial Doppler studies to measure blood flow in the participants with amyloid PET scans. The potential benefits to society should be considerable if this study reveals new information about risk factors for or contributions to AD.
The goal of this project is to determine if a cholinesterase inhibitor is more effective than placebo in delaying cognitive and brain functional decline in people at risk for Alzheimer's disease.
The purpose of this study is to learn what changes in blood vessel contraction may occur as a result of a disease of the vessel that requires surgery. The study will examine the calcium channels present in the vessels being operated on, and the genes that may alter blood vessel function. Possible variation in these genes may change the kind of calcium channels present in blood vessels.
This study is designed to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of estrogen on cognitive function of women with Alzheimer's Disease.
The Georgetown University Memory Disorders Program, part of the Department of Neurology, is conducting pilot studies of the feasibility of various diagnostic tests for Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment and other neurodegenerative diseases. Further, this study is assessing longitudinal changes in biological, lifestyle, and cognitive assessment collection. The primary goal of this study is to examine the feasibility of biochemical assays, genetic testing, and cognitive and lifestyle assessments in the ante-mortem diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment and other neurodegenerative diseases. This research involves genetic and cognitive status testing but the findings will not be shared with research subjects. This will be accomplished ex vivo using blood, and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from patients with a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, or other neurodegenerative diseases and from normal controls.
The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that aerobic exercise leads increased cerebral blood volume in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus in a sample of young and older adults.
The purpose of the study is to establish a clinical cohort for the Duke/UNC Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC). The cohort will be composed of subjects ages 25 to 44 at enrollment with normal cognition and subjects ages 45 to 80 at enrollment with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, or a dementia diagnosis. Initial data including demographics, medical and family history, physical exam, and neuropsychological testing will be obtained. Participants will be asked to contribute a blood sample, a urine sample, a cerebrospinal fluid sample, and undergo a MRI scan. The cohort ages 45 to 80 will be seen yearly until death to evaluate medical status, undergo neuropsychological testing and possibly collect additional samples or undergo additional imaging. All data will be de-identified and stored by the ADRC. The purpose of this study is to examine normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) as people get older. The investigators also hope to be able to assess risk factor information of the role of genes and environmental exposures (for example health conditions, diet, and medications) in Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) and other conditions of aging. The biological samples collected in the study will create a repository. A repository is a collection of blood and tissue samples from people with certain diseases and conditions. For the purpose of this research, the investigators hope to help researchers learn more about Alzheimer's disease and related disorders and other conditions of aging.
Using a randomized controlled trial design, the investigators will examine the effects of music engagement through choir training on the hearing, communication, and psychosocial well-being of older adults, particularly those at heightened risk of developing dementia.
Progressive age-related cognitive deficits occurring in both AD and DS have been connected to the degeneration of several neuronal populations, but mechanisms are not fully elucidated. The most consistent neuronal losses throughout the progression of AD are seen in cholinergic neurons where these losses negatively affect cognition, particularly in attention, learning, and memory formation. Evidence of reduced cholinergic integrity in DS is largely limited to animal models and post-mortem human data. The investigators propose to use molecular, functional, and structural biomarkers to assess the cholinergic integrity in adults with DS. The investigators anticipate using the data gathered in this pilot study to inform future study designs to determine AD risk stratification in DS by identifying individuals who show an accelerated decline in cholinergic integrity that correlates with cognitive and neurobehavioral changes. Also, our cholinergic biomarkers may identify whether individuals with DS are likely to respond to pro-cholinergic interventions, including the novel cholinergic modulators that are being developed to enhance cholinergic-sensitive cognitive functioning. The investigators anticipate using the data gathered here to inform future treatment studies in TRC-DS and beyond where novel cholinergic treatments may offer opportunities for early intervention in DS and be complementary to disease-modifying approaches such as anti-amyloid treatments.
The 2020 NIMH Strategic Plan for Research calls for investigations targeting neurobiology of mental illness across the lifespan. Growing evidence suggests that lifespan neurobiology of schizophrenia (SZ) incorporates two distinct dimensions: aging and disease course. However, their clinical correlates, associated biomarker trajectories, and implications for treatment are unknown. This study will investigate differential aspects of SZ neurobiology captured by aging and disease course, in order to develop specific biomarkers which may offer actionable targets for SZ stage-dependent intervention. The study is predicated on a novel mechanistic Model of SZ Trajectories across the Adult Lifespan, positing distinct biological fingerprints within the anterior limbic system for aging and disease course in SZ: (1) alterations in the circuit's function and structure that occur earlier in the lifespan and are larger in magnitude than the alterations expected with normal aging (accelerated aging dimension); and (2) regionally-specific anterior limbic "hyperactivity" in early SZ, with a subsequent transformation into "hypoactivity" in advanced SZ (disease course dimension). In a sample of SZ and matched healthy controls (n=168, 84/group) aged 18-75 years the investigators will ascertain a broad panel of biomarkers \[via multimodal brain imaging: optimized 1H-MRS, high-resolution task-based fMRI, perfusion (Vascular Space Occupancy) and structural MRI\], along with comprehensive cognitive and clinical assessments. All measures will be acquired at baseline and repeated at 2-year longitudinal follow-up. Using cutting-edge computational approaches, the study will examine (i) effects of aging and SZ course on anterior limbic system biomarkers; (ii) lifespan trajectories for different biomarkers; (iii) patterns of limbic system biomarkers in age- and SZ course-based subgroups (e.g., Younger vs. Older, Early-Course vs. Advanced SZ), as well as in data-driven subgroups (e.g., those with vs. without accelerated aging profiles); and (iv) associations between biomarkers and cognitive and clinical outcomes. This research will advance the field by providing novel biomarkers that capture unique neurobiological contributions of aging and disease course in SZ, and will motivate future studies on SZ mechanisms across the lifespan and development of precision treatments.
Background: To date, there are no published studies on the effects of pecans on vascular function following a high-fat meal. Purpose: To examine the impact of daily pecan consumption for a 4-week period on vascular health and other markers of cardiovascular disease risk in aging adults.
This study is being done to learn about tau tangles in Alzheimer's disease. A type of positron emission tomography (PET) scan is used to measure the abnormal accumulation of protein called tau in the brain. These are thought to be involved in Alzheimer's disease. The investigators will also perform brain MRI and to tests to measure the participant's memory and thinking.
This study is being done to learn about tau tangles in Alzheimer's disease. A type of PET scan is used to measure the abnormal accumulation of protein called tau in the brain. These are thought to be involved in Alzheimer's disease. The investigators will also perform brain MRI and to tests to measure the participant's memory and thinking.
The purpose of this study is to better understand the relationship between age and HIV disease progression. This study will explore the possible relationship between age and HIV disease progression. Older age is an important risk factor for faster disease development, but older people may respond better to combination drug therapy. This relationship needs to be understood better.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate clinical outcomes of Photobiomodulation treatment on patients with dry Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Photobiomodulation is the use of non thermal, non laser light of specific wavelengths and energy directly on the eye to improve retinal function and delay AMD progression. This is a prospective 2 center phase 2 clinical pilot study with no placebo group.
This pilot open-label study examines the effects of a combination of dasatinib plus quercetin - two drugs that have known senolytics properties - on physiological aging in older individuals with depression or schizophrenia.
The purpose of the study is to investigate the use of a special radioactive drug called 123I-MIBG and myocardial MIBG scintigraphy. This scan may be able to help determine who may have a certain kind of neurologic disorder called Lewy Body Disease. The overall purpose of this study is to correlate myocardial MIBG scintigraphy findings with clinical diagnosis. Myocardial MIBG scintigraphy imaging will be combined with other clinical, neuropsychological and neuroimaging findings to improve the prediction for underlying Lewy Body Disease.
The overall goal is to characterize the acute exercise response as it relates to brain glucose metabolism in aging and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The study team will also examine lactate metabolism, relationships with cognition, and the effect of exercise intensity.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and currently has no disease modifying treatments or simple accurate diagnostic tests. The goal of this project is to study how tau (a protein thought to cause AD) is made, transported and cleared in the human body. Better understanding of these processes may lead to improved understanding of AD, earlier diagnosis and a way to evaluate treatment.
The purpose of this study is to determine the sleep patterns of subjects with or without sleep disturbances (insomnia, sleep apnea) and compare these findings with their previous FDG/PIB PET, structural MRI and brain blood flow scams performed during their participation in the Following studies 'Alzheimer's Disease Core Center (ADCC) Clinical Evaluation' (IRB: 2942), MRI Progression Markers of Cognitive Decline in the Elderly' (IRB:09-0586), or 'Imaging Neuro inflammation in Alzheimer's Disease with \[11C\] Arachidonic Acid (AA) and PET'(IRB: 10-00442).
The researchers are trying to determine whether ovarian hormones are associated with aging processes and with the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in women.
The investigators propose using DaTscan in patients with REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and other neurodegenerative syndromes and disorders, to test several hypotheses - some confirmatory, and some novel. Such use will provide new data on the potential clinical and research utility of DaTscan in neurodegenerative diseases. The findings on DaTscan will be correlated with clinical diagnoses and other multimodal imaging studies (e.g., MRI, MRS, FDG-PET, and amyloid-PET) to enhance our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases.
Considerable heterogeneity in the aging population has been observed. The exceptional longevity of individuals reaching 100 years old, so-called centenarians may be an example of life-long healthy aging, or added years may be spent in poor health with decreased physical and cognitive functioning. Current knowledge of the aging experience and the trajectories of physical and cognitive decline across various age groups are not well-understood, yet crucial to prevent spending added years in disease. Hence, the study objective is to develop the metabolic profile associated with aging-related disorders measured as the incidence of impaired functional capacity, cognitive function, and/or well-being.
The aging of the United States (US) population will lead to a steep rise in Alzheimer disease (AD). There is an urgent need for novel therapies that may tackle this looming societal problem. People with Alzheimer disease have frequently evidence of vascular disease in the brain, and vascular disease can increase the risk of Alzheimer disease. Based on this finding, the investigators plan to expand the understanding of how vascular disease contributes to Alzheimer disease, hoping to identify novel target to modify the natural progression of the disease. The investigators will accomplish this goal by inviting 300 participants (with and without dementia) of the Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS) to undergo a brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and donate blood. Of the 300 participants enrolled, 60 participants will be randomly selected to undergo Aβ and tau positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. From the brain MRI, the investigators will obtain measurements of cerebrovascular disease and relate the to the risk of Alzheimer disease. With the blood, the investigators hope to identify measures of aging and inflammation that may predict changes noted in brain scan and identify people at a higher risk of dementia. The investigators will examine PET markers of inflammation and aging in the brain and how the markers relate to dementia.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether vigorous exercise training 4-5 days/week for one year in sedentary middle aged (ages 40-64) individuals at high risk for future development of heart failure will improve cardiac and vascular compliance to a degree equivalent to life-long exercisers and the sedentary young. To date, no effective therapy for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has been found; therefore prevention is critical and discovering novel treatment strategies is essential. Exercise training if implemented in high risk patients may improve diastolic function and cardiac-vascular interactions, preventing further progression to overt heart failure.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is responsible for 30% of all deaths in the United States. This study will examine how risk factors for heart disease in young and middle aged people affect people's health as they grow older.
Our preliminary data show for in cognitively-normal elderly, that Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) is associated with the increase of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) phosphorylated-Tau (P-Tau) and total-Tau (T-Tau), decreases in medial temporal lobe glucose uptake (FDG-PET) and volume (MRI) and progressive memory decline, all of which have been shown to be useful in predicting future dementia in older adults. These findings raise the question as to whether Alzheimer's disease (AD) tissue damage causes SDB in the elderly, or alternatively, if SDB acts as a risk factor for AD neurodegeneration. In the proposed study, we will investigate these mechanistic hypotheses in cognitively normal elderly by examining the longitudinal associations between SDB and cognitive decline, novel MR neuroimaging and CSF biomarkers for neurodegeneration; while our secondary goal is to launch a pilot treatment study to aid in interpreting the mechanistic hypotheses and to examine the effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study that aims to investigate the effect of 2-week and 12-week administration of USP methylene blue (MB) on cerebral blood flow, functional connectivity, memory and attention cognitive abilities using fMRI and behavioral measures in healthy aging, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) subjects.