View clinical trials related to Alzheimer Disease.
Filter by:The purpose of the study is to assess the efficacy of the systematic application of the CONEM-BETA game in the subjective welfare of family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease or other advanced stage dementia.
The objectives of our project are to: 1.) Develop a training program and manual for volunteers to implement evidence-based, non-pharmacological interventions for neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) of dementia in long-term care (LTC) settings; 2.) Recruit and train volunteers using the VALID program and pilot test the volunteer-led program with 20 individuals with Alzheimer's disease and NPS in a LTC facility in Kingston; and, 3.) Evaluate the effects of the VALID program on the symptoms of NPS, patient quality of life, volunteer's experience, and LTC staff stress.
Previous work in animal models suggests that inhalational anesthetic agents may accelerate Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis, but it is unclear to what extent this may happen in humans. Here, the investigators propose to measure Alzheimer's disease-related neural markers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients exposed to anesthesia while undergoing neurosurgical procedures that require lumbar drain placement. Patients will be randomized to either receive inhalation anesthesia with isoflurane or intravenous anesthesia with propofol. CSF and blood samples will each be collected at the induction of anesthesia, and then again ten and twenty-four hours later. CSF samples will be assayed for amyloid beta, tau, and other Alzheimer's disease-associated markers; blood samples will be assayed for serum inflammatory markers and used for genotyping studies. These studies should clarify the effect of common anesthetic agents on Alzheimer's disease related neural markers.
One of the interests of the Alzheimer Plan 2008-2010 is to provide increase support to helping families. It's also of major to involve the patient in the most active treatment possible, encouraging social inter relationship as well as cognitive and behavioural stimulation activities. In the frame of non drug related approaches to Alzheimer disease (AD), several research projects and actions have already been conducted, but no specific study concerning the efficiency of different types of respite care structures have been conducted so far in France. The present project concerns the thematic of the frame "Development and diversification of respite care structures". A platform is defined in the Alzheimer Plan as a "diversified range of despite structures according to patients' needs and informal caregivers' expectations" providing several objectives: Two objectives targeting the informal caregivers: - offer spare time or tutored - inform, support and accompany Two objectives targeting the patients: - encourage maintain of the patient social life and relationships and work together towards his/her psychological and emotional well-being - contribute to improve functional cognitive and sensory capacities The study COMPARSE suggests to compare for the patient - informal caregiver couple, the impact of three different groups of patient care on health profit; resit platform (P), the day care group (D), the control group without access to a respite structure (C).
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major public health problem due to its socio-economic weight. An early diagnosis of AD is urgently needed as it would constitute a determinant breakthrough from a social, financial and research standpoints. Therefore, the investigators need predictive markers of AD, and neuroimaging is a particularly promising tool, especially when using complementary neuroimaging techniques and a longitudinal design, allowing to assess the relationships between the different biomarkers of the disease, their dynamic and their chronology.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) has a prolonged prodromal phase before the stage of dementia. Subtle executive cognitive function deficits can be detected at this early pre-dementia phase, more than 10 years before dementia. Among them, the digit symbol substitution task (DSST) has been shown to be altered very early, up to 13 years before dementia. This test, as many others executive function tests, requires a fine control of visuomotor coordination. Like executive functions, eye movements, particularly voluntary-guided saccades, are under the control of the frontal lobe and fronto-parietal networks. Previous studies have shown a deterioration of voluntary saccades in AD using various paradigms. There are no data in prodromal AD, although the pathological process of the disease affects very early brain structures implicated in saccades execution (eg. caudate nucleus and pre-cuneus).
Genetics of mendelian forms of young onset Alzheimer Disease (GMAJ project) Introduction : Autosomal dominant forms of Alzheimer disease (AD) are characterized by young age of onset. In France the prevalence was estimated at around 1000 cases. The Phenotypical Expression: There is diversity in phenotypical expression, associating dementia, spastic paraplegia, early extrapyramidal syndrome, ataxia or stroke caused by severe cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Diversity in neuropathological expression is demonstrated by the presence of cotton wool plaques, Lewy bodies with Lewy neurites and severe cerebral amyloid angiopathy. The study of mendelian forms is decisive in the physiopathological comprehension of AD and related diseases, since the alteration of those genes involved is sufficient to cause the disease. In AD, identification of these genetic causes allows the formulation of the amyloid hypothesis, which is the basis of current therapeutic developments concerning the Ab peptide. Currently three genes (APP, PSEN1, PSEN2) are identified in early onset mendelian forms and their mutations are involved in 80% of the 139 French families, studied since 1993 within the framework of U614 and the National Reference Centre for Alzheimer Disease in young subjects (CNR-MAJ).These results are arguments in favor of the GMAJ project and have two main objectives: (i) to identify new genes in mendelian AD forms without detectable alteration on known genes. (ii) to correlate phenotypes and genotypes within families associated with known mutations and extend the description of the phenotypical spectrum. Population: Families eligible for this study are those with at least 2 individuals with AD criteria (clinical or neuropathological) with onset before 65 years of age. Duration of inclusion is 3 years. This multicentre study groups 23 clinical centres. The inclusion number is 50 new families per year. Method: Extension and description of families with unknown genetic causes, inclusion of novel families with autosomal dominant AD. The successive steps of the project are the following: (i) Thorough phenotypical characterization in order to document family history and characterize the probands and affected related subjects according to standardized protocol for clinical, neuropsychological, biological (biomarker determination in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid) and imaging data (MRI, TEMP). (ii) Identify known genetic causes (PSEN1/2, APP) with novel autosomal dominant families. (iii) Extend analysis of the pedigrees of families with unknown genetic causes. (iv) Identify novel genetic causes within these families which are negative for known mutations. This study uses 3 methods: - pangenomic search is performed for microalterations (Copy Number Variants or CNV) by Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH) with high resolution (10 kb on average). - potential targets are then validated by the study of large control populations, intrafamilial cosegregation and functional validation. - the remaining families at the end of this stage will be characterized by means of high throughput sequencing of all exonic areas. (v) Follow up study of patients and siblings with 2 goals: - evaluation of the disease course and consequences (individual, familial and social); - occurrence of novel AD cases within the family. (vi) Neuropathological description with potential novel description of atypical AD cases. Results and consequences: Identification of novel genetic causes of AD are of importance in completing the mechanisms of the amyloidergic hypothesis. This project is useful to promote the guidelines on the genetic diagnosis of AD in France.
Filgrastim (G-CSF) is widely used for treatment of patients who have a deficiency of white blood cells. It is also routinely used to stimulate and mobilize stem/progenitor cells for bone marrow transplantation. In studies of thousands of healthy donor subjects treated with G-CSF, the side-effects profile has been reported to be mild and reversible. Currently, G-CSF is under investigation in clinical trials in Germany and the US that aim to enhance recovery from strokes and heart attacks. In animal studies, G-CSF has been observed to improve cognitive performance and to markedly reduce amyloid deposition in hippocampus and entorhinal cortex in a mouse model of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Since this drug is being used safely in many people throughout the world, the investigators hypothesize that it will also be safe to give to patients with Alzheimer's disease and that it may improve some aspects of memory and thinking. The present pilot study has two goals or objectives: 1) to investigate the effects of a five day schedule of Filgrastim administration on cognitive function and 2) to assess its tolerability and safety in a small group (12 patients) with mild to moderate stage AD. Patients who are eligible for the study will be randomly assigned to one of two groups (n=6 per group). One group will receive a five-day course of Filgrastim injections and the other group of subjects will receive vehicle injections (solution without drug). At the end of the first phase of the study (week 8), the groups will cross over to receive either vehicle or Filgrastim as appropriate. In this way all subjects will have received the active medication by the end of the study. After the study is finished the investigators should know whether or not Filgrastim improves some aspects of thinking and memory. And the investigators should know whether or not it is safe to give this medication to patients with Alzheimer's disease. To ensure that the drug is safe, a Safety Monitoring Committee will oversee the entire study. They will review all laboratory data, including complete blood counts, serum chemistry, EKGs and adverse events.
To evaluate the tolerability, safety and efficacy of 3-step titration versus 1-step titration of Rivastigmine patch in the Japanese population.
This study will test the use of venlafaxine to treat the depression in Alzheimer's Disease. Venlafaxine works by increasing natural substances in the brain (serotonin and norepinephrine) that help maintain mental balance. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the commonest neurodegenerative disease of aging and the cause of major financial and emotional burden to patients, families and caregivers, and society. Depression is a very common symptom of AD, affecting as many as 50% of patients over their illness. Depression in AD (Alzheimer's disease) contributes greatly to patient disability and caregiver distress. Neither psychosocial interventions nor psychotropic medications have proven effective to date for the treatment of depression in AD.Venlafaxine is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of major depression but it is not known whether or not it can help depression in Alzheimer's Disease.