View clinical trials related to Cognitive Dysfunction.
Filter by:Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and may contribute to 60-70 % of all cases. An early, accurate diagnosis of AD will become increasingly important with disease-modifying therapies. Different types of fluid and neuroimaging biomarkers are available for the early detection of AD. However, implementation of routine use of these biomarkers in clinical settings is held back due to the risk of overdiagnosis, increased cost and invasiveness of the assessment method. Therefore, novel biomarkers are needed beyond the amyloid and tau pathologies for the early diagnosis of AD. Neuropsychological paper and pencil tests can detect AD and discriminate between different clinical stages. Since medial temporal lobe structures, including the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (EC), are involved in spatial navigation and degenerate in the earliest stages of AD, spatial navigation can be considered as an early cognitive biomarker of the disease. Nonetheless, the measurement of spatial navigation needs further improvement since the current paper and pencil tests lack ecological validity. Therefore, the test environment should be set up in immersive Virtual Reality (iVR). Dr. Andrea Castegnaro (Space and Memory Lab of University College of London) developed the Allocentric Spatial Update Task (ALLO task), which is an iVR task measuring egocentric and allocentric spatial abilities. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to evaluate whether allocentric and egocentric spatial navigation, measured by the ALLO iVR task can be considered a cognitive biomarker for the early detection of AD. In addition, the investigators want to report on the neuronal correlates of both spatial navigation strategies. Through the Department of Neurology of the University Hospital of Ghent, which has a large cognitive disorders clinic, patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's dementia will be recruited. Participants will undergo standard clinical assessment, including a neuropsychological examination, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET and a Lumbar Puncture. In addition, participants will also be asked to undergo Tau PET imaging, Amyloid PET imaging and complete the ALLO iVR task. Healthy controls will also be recruited and have to undergo the same investigations, except for the amyloid PET and lumbar puncture.
Cognitive technology therapies, including interactive video gaming, computer soft wares and mobile technology, have been used to implement cognitive training and rehabilitation programs. Potential advantages to using technology-based interventions include enhanced accessibility and cost-effectiveness, providing a user experience to be good communicator, immersive and comprehensive.
Life expectancy has been increasing for the last 150 years, but the maintenance of health has not kept pace with increased lifespan, and on average, UK adults spend the last decade of life in poor-health, with major consequences for society and the individual. Persistent physical inactivity is thought to be a key contributing factor to the risk of poor health and functional decline occurring in middle-aged and older adults. It is therefore concerning that most middle-aged adults spend >8hrs/day being sedentary, with average step count of 3000-4000 steps/day. To be able to holistically assess the effectiveness of future strategies to address age-related decline in health, and devise public health messages to help individuals reach older age in better health, it is essential that the complex physiological effects that activity and inactivity have across biological systems are characterised. The goal of this intervention study is to compare the impact of physical activity and inactivity on body functioning. Twenty moderately active participants will decrease their physical activity for six months to match the average amount carried out by middle-aged people in the UK. They will then undertake 3-months of reconditioning training to restore their fitness. In addition, twenty sedentary participants will increase their physical activity to UK recommended levels for six months. Before and at points during the intervention period, participants will be asked to make some measurements at home and attend the University of Nottingham to have multiple assessments made. These include; - fitness, muscle strength and function tests, - completion of questionnaires and computer-based brain puzzles - having muscle and fat tissue biopsies and blood samples taken. - The study also involves having MRI scans. This 5-year study will commence in January 2024, with participant recruitment starting in March 2024 and finishing in May 2027.
Recent studies have shown promising cognitive and physical interventions aimed at slowing down ageing-related declines in quality of life, but they lack strong ecological validity (brief durations, unrealistic goals, no real-world application) and has yet to show robust evidence that such interventions are stable and suitable in the long-term. The investigators aim to examine whether these interventions can, over four years, significantly slow down the normal rate of ageing-related decline.
This is a prospective cohort study with the main purpose of predicting progression neurocognitive disorders in Thai population. The main predictor variables to be evaluated are plasma phosphorylated tau (p-tau) level and cognitive test scores, which will be combined using statistical/computational modeling. Additionally, it seeks to evaluate biomarkers for diagnosing disease pathologies, understand their correlation with clinical outcomes, and explore the socioeconomic impact of neurocognitive disorders. The study invites both participants for biospecimen collection, structured interviews, and cognitive examinations and schedules follow-up visits annually or biennially.
Computer games are increasingly utilized as tools for studying cognitive skills, aging, individual differences, and development. They offer a unique advantage by presenting challenges that more closely mirror the complexities and demands of everyday tasks compared to traditional laboratory experiments, clinical tests, and standardized assessments. Our team took an innovative step in this direction by developing a suite of tablet-based games, titled VibrantMinds. These games, varying in type, are designed to measure diverse cognitive indicators, acting as proxies for assessments typically conducted using paper-and-pencil tests in clinical settings. VibrantMinds games have been specifically crafted to be user-friendly and engaging for older adults, including those with dementia. Our studies have shown that these individuals not only find the games accessible but also exhibit measurable improvement in gameplay, suggesting potential benefits for cognitive skill training. Building on this foundation, we are now poised to conduct an in-depth investigation into the actual effectiveness of serious computer games (SCGs) for cognitive enhancement and their application in real-world settings for older adults. This next phase of research will leverage the VibrantMinds platform to carry out studies aimed at validating software-defined indicators of cognitive function and measuring the impact of game-based interventions on cognitive abilities, health-related quality of life, and other significant real-life outcomes. The anticipated results promise to expand our understanding of the potential for new technologies in cognitive assessment and intervention. Moreover, by employing machine learning analysis of the data collected through VibrantMinds, we aim to develop a taxonomy that correlates game complexity and player performance with conventional clinical instruments for assessing cognitive status and functioning.
To assess the effect of Dexmedetomidine on serum Tau-217 protein and its relation to the incidence and severity of postoperative cognitive dysfunction in elderly patients undergoing major surgery under general anesthesia.
This study is the academic study and continuation and further development of a prior project under the leadership of Professor LeBlanc. Patients undergoing allogenic stem cell transplantation are followed up in the outpatient clinic. Here, patients are offered participation the fatigue study measuring both fatigue and cognitive impairment systematically by international standard. Previous study by Boberg et al suggested distinct mRNA and proteomic profiles segregating fatigued from non-fatigued patients as well as patients with or without cognitive impairment. A larger well-defined patient cohort is necessary to confirm these results. Investigators aim to identify specific sets of proteins in the CSF that can serve as potential biomarkers of cognitive dysfunction and/or fatigue. This will be performed with two methods: - by using mass spectrometry-based proteomics approaches - Olink technology PET examinations will be performed on both fatigued and non-fatigued. We will utilize the second generation TSPO radioligand [ 11C]PBR28 as well as the SV2A radioligand [ 11C]UCB-J, both showing high signal-to-noise ratio and adequate test-retest properties.
The purpose of this research study is to investigate the relationship between light and circadian rhythms. Twenty healthy older adults will be recruited to participate in a randomized, cross-over study, where an active lighting intervention designed to maintain entrainment and a control intervention designed not to entrain will be tested.
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the permeability of blood-brain barrier between the intravenous anesthesia group and the inhalation gas anesthesia group in the elderly patients undergoing surgery. The main questions it aims to answer are: - [Is the permeability of blood-brain barrier between the intravenous anesthesia group and the inhalation gas anesthesia group in the elderly patients different?] - [Is the incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction between the intravenous anesthesia group and the inhalation gas anesthesia group different?] Participants will be anesthetized with different categories of anesthetics. - Intravenous anesthetics - Inhalation gas anesthetics