| Eligibility |
All subjects. Age 50-100 years. We will equally recruit subjects with respect to gender,
race, ethnicity, socioeconomic and other factors to allow the results of this research to
yield the greatest generalizability.
Mild AD dementia. Meets probable AD dementia NIA-AA criteria 86; MoCA 10-25 85; performance
on Uniform Data Set version 3 (UDS-3) delayed recall (Craft Story 21) and recognition
(Benson Complex Figure) memory worse than 1.5 SD for age and education; worse than 1.5 SD
for age and education in at least one other cognitive domain (e.g., language, executive
functioning) based on other tests in the UDS-3. A summary of the NIA-AA criteria for AD
dementia are that the patient has (1) dementia, such that cognitive or behavioral symptoms
(a) are interfering with the ability to function at work or usual activities, (b) represent
a decline from previous level of functioning, (c) are not explained by delirium or major
psychiatric disorder, (d) are detected and diagnosed, and (e) involve a minimum of two
domains including memory, executive function, visuospatial abilities, language, and
personality or behavior or comportment; (2) insidious onset; (3) clear-cut history of
worsening of cognition; (4) prominent cognitive deficits by history and examination from
either (a) an amnestic presentation or (b) a non-amnestic presentation, which can be a
language, visuospatial, or executive dysfunction presentation; and lastly (5) no (a)
substantial concomitant cerebrovascular disease, (b) core features of Dementia with Lewy
Bodies, (c) prominent features of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (FTD), (d)
prominent features of primary progressive aphasia, or (e) evidence for another concurrent,
active disorder or use of medication that could have a substantial effect on cognition. All
diagnoses are made by the BU ADRC clinical core consensus and confirmed by Dr. Budson. The
majority of patients will have a positive AD biomarker, either from cerebrospinal fluid
(CSF) or positron emission tomography (PET). See also Additional Inclusion/Exclusion
criteria below.
MCI due to AD. Meets MCI due to AD according to NIA-AA criteria 86; MoCA >18 85;
performance on Uniform Data Set version 3 (UDS-3) delayed recall (Craft Story 21) and
recognition (Benson Complex Figure) memory worse than 1.0 SD for age and education adjusted
norms. A summary of the NIA-AA criteria for MCI due to AD are that there is (1) clinical
concern reflecting a change in cognition reported by patient, informant, or clinician; (2)
objective impairment in one or more domains, typically including memory; (3) preservation
of independence in functional abilities; (4) not demented; (5) a rule out of vascular,
traumatic, and medical causes of cognitive decline; (6) evidence of longitudinal decline in
cognition, when feasible; (7) history consistent with AD genetic factors, where relevant.
All diagnoses are made by the BU ADRC clinical core consensus and confirmed by Dr. Budson.
The majority of patients will have a positive AD biomarker, either from CSF or PET. See
also Additional Inclusion/Exclusion criteria below.
Healthy controls. Healthy controls will also be recruited from the BU ADRC and will be age,
education, and gender matched to the AD patients. They will have a MoCA > 2585 and
performance within 1.0 SD for age and education adjusted norms on Uniform Data Set version
3 (UDS-3). All "diagnoses" of healthy controls will be made by the BU ADRC clinical core
consensus and confirmed by Dr. Budson. The majority of healthy controls will have a
negative AD biomarker, either from CSF or PET. See also Additional Inclusion/Exclusion
criteria below.
All subjects. Current conditions allowed: mild depression and/or anxiety not requiring
hospitalization or medications other than what are listed below; hyperlipidemia;
hypercholesterolemia; hypertension; heart disease; asthma; gastroesophageal reflux disease;
edema; treated hypothyroidism; systemic vascular disease (but not stroke); dermatological
disorders; ophthalmologic disorders. Prior conditions excluded: stroke, traumatic brain
injury, other brain or systemic disorder that, in the opinion of Dr. Budson, has produced a
permanent alteration of cognition. Current medications allowed: selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors; cholinesterase inhibitors (for the patients with AD); statins; beta
adrenergic blockers; bronchodilators; ace inhibitors; calcium channel blockers; angiotensin
II receptor blockers; other antihypertensive agents; histamine-2 receptor antagonists;
proton-pump inhibitors; diuretics; thyroid medications; aspirin; non-narcotic analgesics;
antiplatelet agents; vitamins & minerals; topical medications; eye drops.
Inclusion/exclusion criteria related to tasks, EEG and tACS. Subjects must have normal or
corrected-to-normal vision, color vision, nonpregnant, no metal implants in head, no
implanted electronic devices, no skin sensitivity, and no claustrophobia.
Additional exclusion criteria. Subjects will be excluded if they cannot understand the
informed consent or the experimental procedures. Subjects will be excluded if they have a
significant vision and/or hearing impairment which will prevent them from understanding the
informed consent and from completing the experimental procedures.
|
