View clinical trials related to Alzheimer Disease.
Filter by:The purpose of this trial is to test the ability of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications naproxen and celecoxib to delay or prevent the onset of AD and age-related cognitive decline.
The goal of this study is to examine whether the administration of estrogen to post-menopausal women and women with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease will enhance their memory and their capacity for learning.
The purpose of this study is to learn more about the medical problems and the genetic factors involved in a recently defined form of inherited dementia called "familial dementia with neuroserpin inclusion bodies (FDNIB)." Abnormal substances in nerve cells of patients with this disease affect brain and nervous system function, causing confusion, memory decline and impaired cognition (thinking ability). Patients also develop movement disorders and, possibly, seizures. Symptoms begin in midlife, between 45 and 55 years of age. Patients with FDNIB and family members 18 years of age or older at risk for the disease may be eligible for this 3-year study. Participants will have a medical and family history and review of medical records; interview with a medical geneticist (specialist in genetics); physical, neurological and psychiatric examinations; and the following tests and procedures: 1. Blood tests to assess general health 2. Chest and skull X-rays 3. Electrocardiogram (EKG)-record of the electrical activity of the heart using electrodes placed on the chest 4. Electroencephalogram (EEG)-record of the electrical activity of the brain using electrodes placed on the head 5. Ultrasound of the abdomen-imaging of abdominal organs using sound waves 6. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-imaging of the brain using a strong magnetic field and radio waves 7. Hearing evaluation 8. Assessment of performance of daily living activities 9. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)-imaging of brain metabolism and blood flow using a radioactive substance injected into a vein The evaluation will be done over a 3- to 4-day period. At their completion, participants will meet with a physician and a genetics counselor to discuss the clinically significant findings. Participants may be asked to return for follow-up evaluations every 6 months to a year (depending on the individual's condition) for 3 years.
The primary specific aim of this clinical trial is to determine whether treatment with rofecoxib or naproxen for one year will slow the rate of decline of cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) as measured by ADAScog.
This study will examine whether enhancing the chemical acetylcholine in the brain can improve memory and attention. It will identify changes in brain function that occur during these cognitive tasks. Animal and human studies have shown that a decrease in acetylcholine may be responsible for some of the cognition deficits in Alzheimer's disease. Conversely, patients taking medications that slow the breakdown of this neurotransmitter have experienced improvements in memory. Normal volunteers and patients with Alzheimer's disease may be eligible for this study of functional brain imaging using positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These techniques can measure brain activity and identify brain regions involved in memory and attention. Candidates for this study will be screened with a medical and psychiatric history and a physical examination including blood tests, urinalysis, chest X-ray, and electrocardiogram (ECG). Those enrolled will perform memory and attention tasks during PET and MRI studies. The cognition tasks will be repeated twice-once during infusion of saline (a fluid with no drug effect) through a catheter inserted into a blood vessel and again during infusion of physostigmine, a drug that delays the breakdown of acetylcholine. The PET procedure will be completed in one day; the MRI procedure will be done on two different days. During imaging, attention and memory tasks will be presented in short blocks of about 4-minutes duration. They will be repeated in sequence up to 10 times with a few minutes separation. Subjects will be shown pictures of faces or other visual stimuli and asked to decide whether the pictures are the same or different. Information gained from this study may increase knowledge about how acetylcholine affects the brain's response to memory and attention tasks and perhaps lead to better treatments for the cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease.
The main source of energy for the brain comes from a combination of oxygen and glucose (sugar). For brain cells to function normally they must receive a constant supply of these nutrients. As areas of the brain become more active blood flow into and out of these areas increase. In addition to oxygen and glucose, the brain uses chemical compounds known as phospholipids. These phospholipids make up the covering of nerve cells that assist in the transfer of information from cell to cell. Without phospholipids brain cell activity may become abnormal and cause problems in the nervous system. Certain diseases like Alzheimer's disease and brain tumors can affect blood flow to the brain and change the way the brain metabolizes phospholipids. In addition to diseases, changes in the brain occur with normal healthy aging. This study is designed to use PET scan to measure changes in blood flow and changes in phospholipid metabolism. Using this technique, researchers can improve their understanding of how certain diseases change the shape and function of the brain.
Some of the thinking difficulties of Alzheimer's patients may be due to a deficiency in a brain chemical called acetylcholine, which helps transmit messages between nerve cells. Nefiracetam is a new drug that stimulates acetylcholine. This study will test whether Nefiracetam can safely improve memory, thinking and activities of daily living in patients with mild to moderate intellectual impairment due to Alzheimer's disease. Patients in the study must have a caregiver and designated representative. Candidates will be given a medical history and physical examination that includes a complete neurologic and neuropsychologic evaluation, blood tests, and an electrocardiogram. A chest X ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test will be done on patients who have not had these tests within the previous two years. During the 20-week study, each patient will take three pills twice a day for twenty weeks of either Nefiracetame or placebo (sugar pill). Neither the patients nor the doctors will know which patients are getting the drug and which are getting the placebo. Blood and urine tests will be done frequently throughout the study. Patients will be asked to have a spinal tap (on a voluntary basis) to measure the levels of drug in the spinal fluid, and a PET scan (a brain imaging test). At the end of the study, patients who feel they are doing well with no side effects from the drug (or placebo) may be given the option of continuing treatment for another seven months. Animal studies showed that Nefiracetam improved learning impairment and memory in rats with dementia. In a small study of humans, about one-fourth of patients who were given a low dose of the drug had improved intellectual function, and about one-half who received a higher dose improved.
The purpose of this study is to use brain imaging technology to study the effects of aging and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) on a specific type of brain receptor. The brain is made up of cells called neurons. The neurons communicate with one another and secrete chemicals called neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters bind to specific sites on other neurons called receptors. Acetylcholine (ACh) is a neurotransmitter that binds to ACh receptors. In both aging and AD, the number of neurons that secrete ACh decreases and the function of some ACh receptors changes. This study will use positron emission tomography (PET) scans of the brain to study the effects of age and AD on muscarinic type 2 [M2], a type of ACh receptor. Participants in this study will be injected with a radioactive tracer (ligand [F-18] FP-TZTP) which binds to [M2] receptors. Participants will then undergo a PET scan in order for the density and function of [M2] receptors to be studied.
Glutamate is an amino acid released by brain cells that acts to excite other cells. Glutamate attaches to special sites on cells called AMPA (alpha-amino-2,3-dihydro-5 methyl 3-oxo-4-isoxazolepropanoic acid) receptors. The brain cells responsible for releasing glutamate are damaged in Alzheimer's disease and other conditions affecting thinking and reasoning. Researchers would like to see if giving patients a drug that attaches to AMPA receptors improves the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. CX516 (Ampalex) is a test drug that affects the AMPA receptors. This study will investigate the effectiveness and safety of CX516 on patients with Alzheimer's disease. Patients will be given capsules of CX516 or placebo (sugar pill that neither harms nor helps) for up to 16 weeks in different amounts. The effectiveness of the drug will be measured by neurological tests. Safety will be monitored by frequent check-ups and lab examinations.
The purpose of this study is to improve understanding of neurological conditions. Patients participating in this study will continue receiving medical care, routine laboratory tests, and diagnostics tests (X-rays, CT-scans, and nuclear imaging), from their primary care physician. Doctors at the NIH plan to follow these patients and offer advice and assistance to their primary care physicians.