Daridorexant to Treat Insomnia in Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild to Moderate Alzheimer...
Alzheimer DiseaseInsomnia Disorder1 moreDARIDOR-ALZ is a phase IV clinical trial designed to evaluate both the efficacy and safety of daridorexant, a selective dual orexin receptor antagonist that blocks the actions of the orexin neuropeptides at both orexin-1 and orexin-2 receptors, in selected populations of MCI and mild-to-moderate AD patients with insomnia complaints.
Levetiracetam for Alzheimer's Disease Neuropsychiatric Symptoms Related to Epilepsy Trial (LAPSE)...
Alzheimer DiseasePatients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are increasingly recognized to have seizures in addition to cognitive decline. Seizures may contribute to memory problems as well as other symptoms common in AD like agitation, depression, or apathy. These symptoms are collectively called neuro-psychiatric symptoms. Studies of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with AD have suggested that injury to certain parts of the brain can cause these neuro-psychiatric symptoms. Based on this evidence, the investigators hypothesize that seizures can also cause neuro-psychiatric symptoms in patients with AD and may be related to the injury seen on MRI. The current study will follow participants for 1 year and will involve participants with AD who also have neuro-psychiatric symptoms. Participants will be examined with three brain wave studies to assess for seizure-like activity. Participants with seizure-like activity will all receive levetiracetam for 1 year. All participants will have their neuro-psychiatric symptoms, cognitive abilities, quality of life, and AD severity assessed throughout the year. The investigators plan to determine if levetiracetam changes the severity of the participants' neuro-psychiatric symptoms compared to their baseline as well as compared to participants without seizure-like activity. 65 participants will need to be recruited to test the study hypotheses. The study will take place at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Longitudinal Cognitive Assessment by BoCA
Alzheimer DiseaseMild Cognitive Impairment5 moreThe Boston Cognitive Assessment (BoCA) is a self-administered online test intended for longitudinal cognitive monitoring. BoCA uses random not-repeating tasks to minimize learning effects. BoCA was developed to evaluate the effects of treatment in longitudinal clinical trials and available gratis to individuals and professionals.
The Role of Concomitant Diseases in Postoperative Complications Risk Stratification.
Coronary Heart DiseaseAnemia11 moreStudy is conducted to assess the prevalence and structure of comorbidity among patients undergoing abdominal surgery and produce the stratification of the risk of postoperative complications by identifying independent predictors for its development.
Validation of a Novel Self-Administered Cognitive Assessment Tool (CogCheck) in Patients With Mild...
Dementia AlzheimersMild Cognitive Impairment2 moreDue to the demographical development, age-related diseases will drastically increase over the next decades. To face this healthcare challenge, early and accurate identification of cognitive impairment is crucial. The assessment of neurocognitive functioning ideally requires a tool that is short, easy to administer and interpret, and has high diagnostic accuracy. In this context, the use of computerized test batteries is receiving increasing attention. Compared to paper-pencil tests, computerized test batteries have many advantages. The possibility to measure reaction times may provide additional information. Moreover, test questions are always presented the exact same way, examiner-related bias is eliminated, and results are available immediately after examination. Due to the ability to adjust the level of difficulty to the performance of the individual, floor and ceiling effects may be minimized. Additionally, costs are reduced, and fewer materials and less trained personnel are required. Finally, big data approaches and the use of machine learning algorithms are becoming more popular in the field of clinical diagnostics, and computerized cognitive test batteries may facilitate future data collection to this aim. In 2014, we developed a self-administered tablet computer program for the iPad (CogCheck) to assess preoperative cognitive functioning in surgery patients. The cognitive tests used in the CogCheck application are identical or similar to the paper-and-pencil tests that are currently used in dementia diagnostics. Replacing some of the paper-and-pencil tests by a computerized test battery may facilitate the routine neuropsychological examinations. Thus, we aim to investigate the diagnostic accuracy and user-friendliness of CogCheck when applied in a cognitively impaired patient sample. In a first step, the diagnostic properties of CogCheck will be examined by differentiating between healthy controls and patients with mild or major neurocognitive disorder (NCD) predominantly due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Data from healthy controls have been collected (EKNZ Req-2016-00393) in a previous normative study of CogCheck. Thus a further aim is to investigate the user-friendliness of CogCheck in patients with mild or major NCD predominantly due to AD. The primary aim of our study is to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of CogCheck for patients with mild or major NCD predominantly due to AD in a German-speaking population. Secondary aims are: (1) to examine the user-friendliness of CogCheck in patients with mild or major NCD predominantly due to AD, (2) to compare the results between cognitively healthy individuals (EKNZ Req-2016-00393) and patients with mild or major NCD predominantly due to AD on each of the CogCheck subtest, (3) to establish an algorithm with the CogCheck subtests that optimally distinguishes between cognitively healthy controls (EKNZ Req-2016-00393) and patients with mild or major NCD predominantly due to AD, (4) to compare the diagnostic properties of CogCheck with the ones of the currently used paper-pencil tests.
The Comparative Effectiveness Dementia & Alzheimer's Registry
Alzheimer DiseaseMild Cognitive ImpairmentTo evaluate the effectiveness of using clinical precision medicine to develop lifecourse interventions for Alzheimer's disease (AD) prevention and treatment. Anthropometrics, blood biomarkers (including genetics), and cognition will measured longitudinally to assess the comparative effectiveness of clinical care.
In-Home Technology for Caregivers of People With Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment: Wearables...
DementiaMild Cognitive Impairment1 moreThis study aims to develop, evaluate, and commercialize an in-home supportive technology that is designed to alleviate anxiety, burden, and loneliness in spousal and familial caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease, other dementias, or mild cognitive impairment by integrating wearable devices (e.g., Apple Watches).
In-Home Technology for Caregivers of People With Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment: Rural Homes...
DementiaMild Cognitive Impairment1 moreThis study aims to develop, evaluate, and commercialize an in-home supportive technology that is designed to alleviate anxiety, burden, and loneliness in spousal and familial caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease, other dementias, or mild cognitive impairment in rural homes.
In-Home Technology for Caregivers of People With Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment: Spanish...
DementiaMild Cognitive Impairment1 moreThis study aims to develop, evaluate, and commercialize an in-home supportive technology that is designed to alleviate anxiety, burden, and loneliness in spousal and familial caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease, other dementias, or mild cognitive impairment in Spanish language homes.
Examining the Feasibility of Implementation, Patterns of Association, and Outcomes in HRV Biofeedback...
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Family CaregiversIn a remotely delivered nationwide pilot study, we will be examining a novel 8-week heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) intervention vs music listening control (MLC) for 30 family caregivers 18 years and older (FCGs) of Alzheimer's disease (AD) (and related dementias: ADRD) patients to examine feasibility (acceptability/adherence, satisfaction) and direction of change in caregiver burden, stress, resilience, anxiety, self-compassion, and relationship quality.