View clinical trials related to Cognitive Dysfunction.
Filter by:Individuals with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of developing cognitive dysfunction followed by dementia in late life. Obesity, physical inactivity and "systemic low-grade inflammation" are strong risk factors and play a crucial role in this network of diseases. Brain-derived Neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is produced in brain as well as several tissues outside brain eg muscle cells. Low BDNF are associated with cognitive dysfuction, obesity and type 2 diabetes. The investigators include 200 individuals divided into three groups: 80 individuals with type 2 diabetes, 80 age and BMI-matched controls and 40 individuals with impaired glucose tolerance. The project will test the hypothesis, that low systemic BDNF are associated with accumulation of abdominal fat, cognitive dysfunction and insulin resistence with different effect in men and women.
This project is designed to study the effects of the dietary supplement curcumin on age-related cognitive impairment. In particular, the study seeks to determine the effects of curcumin on cognitive decline and the amount of abnormal amyloid protein in the brain. Genetic risk will also be studied as a potential predictor of cognitive decline. Subjects will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: either a placebo twice daily or the curcumin supplement (Theracurmin®, containing 90 mg of curcumin). The investigators expect that the volunteers receiving the curcumin supplement will show less evidence of decline after 18 months than those receiving the placebo. The investigators predict that cognitive decline and treatment response will vary according to genetic risk for Alzheimer's. The investigators will study subjects with memory complaints aged 50-90 years. Initially, subjects will undergo a clinical assessment, an MRI and a blood draw to determine genetic risk and to rule out other neurodegenerative disorders linked to memory complaints. Subsequently, subjects will undergo an -(1-{6-[(2-[F-18]fluoroethyl)(methyl)amino]-2-naphthyl}ethylidene)malononitrile (FDDNP) PET scan and a baseline neuropsychological assessment to confirm a diagnosis of MCI or normal aging. Once enrolled, subjects will begin taking the supplement (either curcumin or a placebo). Some of the initial subjects will be asked to return every three months for regular MRIs. Every 6 months, subjects will also receive neuropsychological assessments. At the conclusion of the study, subjects will be asked to complete a final neuropsychological assessment, MRI scan, PET scan and blood draw. Additional blood will be drawn at baseline and at 18 months and frozen to assess inflammatory markers if cognitive outcomes are positive. FDDNP-PET scans will be used to measure the amount of abnormal amyloid plaque- and tau tangle-proteins in the brain; the MRIs will be used to monitor supplement side effects and measure brain structure; the neuropsychological assessments will monitor rates of cognitive decline; the blood draws will be used to determine genetic risk and to test levels of inflammatory markers.
The purpose of this study is to compare two different combination anti-HIV therapies over 48 weeks and to assess if differences in improvement in the function of the brain are observed over this period. The study will compare anti-HIV therapy combinations which are currently in use. The patients will not have had any previous treatment for their HIV infection.
For many, Alzheimer's disease is the number one medical issue facing our aging society. It is a late onset neurodegenerative disease, frequently under diagnosed, that impairs memory and cognitive performance. There are no known treatments that can either prevent or reverse its progression. Consequently, there still remains a need to evaluate treatments which can better stabilize the symptoms of this disease. These symptoms frequently include decreased functional capacity and negative psychological attributes (e,g, depression, anxiety) in association with the memory and cognition deficits. This current study is being done to assess an investigational compound that has been designed to not only improved the cognitive status of affected patients but to also better manage all symptoms. Hence, the ultimate goal is to provide patients with an improved quality of life by slowing the progression of this neurodegenerative disease
This study seeks to develop and test a novel, mechanistic treatment for mitigating cognitive impairment in older adults with anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders are common, severe, and disabling in older adults. One particularly impairing aspect of late-life anxiety disorders is cognitive impairment: impairments in memory and executive function cause disability, impede treatment response to psychotherapy, may lead to dementia, and are not corrected by standard anti-anxiety treatments. This pilot study will test the glucocorticoid antagonist, mifepristone, for cognitive impairment in late-life anxiety disorders. Mifepristone blocks the effects of elevated cortisol levels on glucocorticoid receptors in the brain; it has been studied preliminarily in various neuropsychiatric disorders, such as psychotic depression and bipolar disorder, with well-documented safety and tolerability.
The objective of this project is to study cognitive yields in people of the town of Salamanca over 65, with particular emphasis on the acquisition of the initial symptoms of cognitive impairment in order to detect mild cognitive impairment and study the relationship between the clinical situation and cardiovascular risk factors. It will depart from a reference population of 420 people older than 65 years living in the municipality of Salamanca which took part in a survey prior to partner health needs of the elderly of 65 years in the municipality of Salamanca. This was a stratified sampling as stratum considering the area of health. The results of this study are expected to evidence the extent of the problem of cognitive decline in the population over 65 years. It is also expected to determine the relationship between the co-morbidity in this problem and specific factors of cardiovascular risk in this group of population.
Recent data suggests that anesthetics can have prolonged effects on gene expression, protein synthesis and processing as well as cellular function in ways that the investigators are only beginning to understand, especially in the very young and the elderly. Within moments to days of emerging from anesthesia - cardiac or non-cardiac - some patients experience mild to very severe disorientation and changes in memory and thinking ability without apparent cause. For the vast majority of patients, this Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction (POCD), generally subsides, but for some with "diminished cognitive reserve" - especially the elderly, those with less education or prior CNS events such as stroke or early dementia - changes in memory and executive function may persist. If prolonged for more than three months, POCD has been linked to an increased risk of death. In 1-2% of elderly patients, the problem may ultimately continue for more than a year, leading to a loss of ability to care for themselves and early demise. Though this may seem like a small percentage, seniors will comprise up to 40% of the 50-75 million surgical procedures performed annually over the next 20-30 years. This amounts to 70,000 - 200,000 elder affected, and for them and their families, the cost of POCD in longer-term care, lost wages, and extended suffering will remain very high.
The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between plasma putative biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (i.e. Ab40 amyloid and total Ab42 amyloid, free, bound, free/bound, truncated, sAPPĪ±) and : - the risk of conversion of individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) into Alzheimer's disease (AD), - the Alzheimer's disease progression rate.
Patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are a group recognized at being at high risk of progressing to Alzheimer disease. Treatment of MCI with immunotherapy with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) could potentially reduce the risk of progression to Alzheimer disease. This study will evaluate the efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin in patients with MCI over 24 months after the first infusion. This study will also document conversion from MCI to Alzheimer's Disease.
The goal of this study is to determine whether increasing participation in cognitive, physical, and/or social activities prevents cognitive decline in older African Americans (AAs) with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Patients with MCI are at increased risk for Alzheimer's Disease (AD); we propose that increasing participation in activities will prevent cognitive decline and may delay the onset of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). We will test this hypothesis by conducting a clinical trial in which older AAs with MCI (aged 65 years and older) will be randomized to Behavior Activation (BA) (a behavioral intervention that increases participation in daily activities) or Supportive Therapy (ST) (a person-centered psychotherapy that involves active listening and offering support focusing on participants' problems and concerns). We hypothesize that BA-treated subjects will have fewer declines in cognitive and functional abilities, fewer depressive and neuropsychiatric symptoms, and better quality of life than ST-treated subjects at 24 months.