Active clinical trials for "Cognitive Dysfunction"

The SNIFF 3-Week Aptar Device study will involve using a device to administer insulin or placebo through each participant's nose or intra-nasally. Insulin is a hormone that is produced in the body. It works by lowering levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. This study is measuring how much insulin the device delivers. In addition, this study will look at the effects of insulin or placebo administered intra-nasally using an intranasal delivery device on memory, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation is a non-invasive neuromodulatory technique that results in the clinical improvement of patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment, a prodromal condition for the onset of dementia. The responses to treatment depend on the characteristics of the patients and the parameters adjusted in the equipment, which makes the modeling of electric fields imperative to maximize the safety profile and therapeutic potential of the technique. The study of neurobiological predictors of response to non-invasive neurostimulation and genetic susceptibility can elucidate current effects according to the individual's profile. The objectives of this study are to observe the effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation with optimized/customized parameters in patients with amnestic CCL, considering the subjects' genetic susceptibility to Alzheimer's Disease and neurobiological markers. This is a randomized, triple-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial. Neuropsychological tests and a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire will be used to assess and characterize the subjects. Participants captured by the Laboratory of Studies in Aging and Neuroscience at the Federal University of Paraíba will be divided into 02 groups, each with 25 patients, totaling 50 volunteers: Active - participants who will receive real current; Sham - participants who will receive simulated stimulation. Participants entered through the eligibility criteria will be randomly allocated in a simple way, at a rate of 1:1. Payment parameters will be customized by Computational Modeling with the aid of the SimNIBS Program and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. The electroencephalogram and evaluation of polymorphisms of the gene encoding Apolipoprotein E examined as predictors of response. Data will be processed from the Statistical Package for Social Sciences® (20.0) Software, applying the Student test for continuous variables or chi-square for categorical variables. Predictive analysis will be conducted from Machine Learning. It is expected to find improvements in the scores of memory and general cognition tests after the intervention protocol with tDCS with individualized dose in the group that will receive an intervention, compared to the simulated neurostimulation group. These obtained results optimize the practice, elucidating issues still present due to the different applications of the technique produced in the literature on the subject.

The 2020 NIMH Strategic Plan for Research calls for investigations targeting neurobiology of mental illness across the lifespan. Growing evidence suggests that lifespan neurobiology of schizophrenia (SZ) incorporates two distinct dimensions: aging and disease course. However, their clinical correlates, associated biomarker trajectories, and implications for treatment are unknown. This study will investigate differential aspects of SZ neurobiology captured by aging and disease course, in order to develop specific biomarkers which may offer actionable targets for SZ stage-dependent intervention. The study is predicated on a novel mechanistic Model of SZ Trajectories across the Adult Lifespan, positing distinct biological fingerprints within the anterior limbic system for aging and disease course in SZ: (1) alterations in the circuit's function and structure that occur earlier in the lifespan and are larger in magnitude than the alterations expected with normal aging (accelerated aging dimension); and (2) regionally-specific anterior limbic "hyperactivity" in early SZ, with a subsequent transformation into "hypoactivity" in advanced SZ (disease course dimension). In a sample of SZ and matched healthy controls (n=168, 84/group) aged 18-75 years the investigators will ascertain a broad panel of biomarkers [via multimodal brain imaging: optimized 1H-MRS, high-resolution task-based fMRI, perfusion (Vascular Space Occupancy) and structural MRI], along with comprehensive cognitive and clinical assessments. All measures will be acquired at baseline and repeated at 2-year longitudinal follow-up. Using cutting-edge computational approaches, the study will examine (i) effects of aging and SZ course on anterior limbic system biomarkers; (ii) lifespan trajectories for different biomarkers; (iii) patterns of limbic system biomarkers in age- and SZ course-based subgroups (e.g., Younger vs. Older, Early-Course vs. Advanced SZ), as well as in data-driven subgroups (e.g., those with vs. without accelerated aging profiles); and (iv) associations between biomarkers and cognitive and clinical outcomes. This research will advance the field by providing novel biomarkers that capture unique neurobiological contributions of aging and disease course in SZ, and will motivate future studies on SZ mechanisms across the lifespan and development of precision treatments.

Aging-related cognitive decline may be affected by brain cholesterol and the health of cell membranes. Certain nutritional supplements have been proposed to support membrane health, and there is increasing interest in plasmalogens and Omega-3 derived oil supplements to support brain health among older adults. Plasmalogens are compounds found in neural cell membranes that are connected to cholesterol processing. Neural cells that have low plasmalogens have shown an inability to process cholesterol properly. Recent research suggests that abnormalities in cholesterol processing and low levels of plasmalogen may play a role in age-related cognitive decline. The product being investigated in this study is the ProdromeNeuro Omega 3 oil nutritional supplement. This product contains naturally occurring fatty acids in higher concentrations than similar products that are commercially available. The purpose of this research study is to better understand the effects of ProdromeNeuro Omega-3 nutritional supplementation among participants with age-related cognitive decline. It is hoped that taking this product over the course of 4 months will result in improved plasmalogen levels, brain connectivity seen on advanced brain imaging, as well as improved cognitive assessment measurements.

This is a prospective multicenter cohort study, which will determine the prevalence of preoperative cognitive impairment (CI) using the Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS- M), Eight-items interview to Differentiate Aging and Dementia (AD8), Telephone Montreal Cognitive Assessment (T-MoCA), and a single cognitive question from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We would determine the (1) the diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC)) of the AD8, CDC single cognitive question, and T-MoCA against the TICS-M and (2) the correlation between CI and measures of postoperative delirium, sleep disturbances, functional disability, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), depression, quality of health, frailty, and pain in older surgical patients. This study will target older patients from the pre-operative clinics at Toronto Western Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital (MSH), Toronto. Research staff will identify eligible patients who are scheduled for elective non-cardiac surgery. Written informed consent to participate in the study will be obtained from all patients.

Elderly patients are often considered as a high-risk population for major abdominal surgery due to reduced functional reserve and increased comorbidities. Previous study reported that about 40 and 10% of elderly (60 yr and older) patients suffered from postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) 7 days and 3 months, respectively, after noncardiac surgery. POCD is a central nervous system complication after anesthesia and an operation, whose risk factors include age, education level, the operation (time, type, and mode), anesthesia (methods, drugs, and time) and postoperative analgesia. In the study of Su X et al, elderly patients are also more prone to develop postoperative sleep disturbances after surgery with prolonged sleep latencies, fragmented sleep, decreased sleep efficiency and abnormally sleep stages. Increasing evidence showed that sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances after surgery could promote β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) accumulation by simultaneously upregulating Aβ synthesis and interfering with Aβ clearance. This insoluble Aβ aggregates to form brain extracellular senile plaques, which are one of the neuropathological hallmarks of numerous postoperative cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's disease(AD), and can be measured by amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) imaging through injecting 18F-florbetapir, a novel imaging agent that binds with high affinity (Kd 3.1 nM+0.7) to β-amyloid peptide fibrils in brain amyloid plaques, to the patients.Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) is a new acupuncture therapy developed by combining transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in European and American countries and traditional Chinese acupuncture. TEAS treat disease through inputting a pulse current of different frequencies, intensities, and waveforms via electrode paste adhering to the skin. Previous studies proved that TEAS has been successfully applied in many different procedures through stimulating different acupoints such as reducing postoperative pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and improving postoperative sleep quality. However, whether TEAS could affect Aβ deposition by improving postoperative sleep quality and thus affect the development of long-term cognitive impairment is still unclear. The aim of our study is to conduct the TEAS intervention to elderly patients who received laparoscopic abdominal surgery, and then to examine its effect on postoperative sleep quality, postoperative cognition and complications. In this study, we utilized 18F-florbetapir imaging to assess the relationships between postoperative sleep disturbances and POCD and brain Aβ burden through measuring by PET imaging.

This research aims at describing the relationship between white adipose tissue inflammation and post-operative cognitive dysfunctions.The possible link between inflammatory cytokines secretions of the white adipose tissue of a surgical wound and the arising of patient's cognitive dysfunction in the post-operative course will be investigated. The hypothesis is that obese patient's inflammation of the white adipose tissue leads to cognitive dysfunction.

This is a phase I, dose-escalation and phase II dose-expansion clinical trial determining the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and safety and tolerability of adding N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) to ovarian cancer patients who are receiving a platinum-based therapy (PBT). This study will investigate whether NAC will mitigate chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment (CRCI).

Postoperative neurocognitive disorders (PND), which include postoperative delirium and both acute and longlasting neurocognitive deficits, are a significant public health problem, leading to a cascade of deleterious complications. Older adults are particularly at-risk of developing PND both in the short and long term. Although age is consistently reported as an important risk factor, the exact pathophysiology of PND remains poorly understood, but may include postsurgery-compromised blood brain barrier (BBB) function. This project proposes that perioperative BBB dysfunction is associated with measurable brain morphologic findings in cognitive control areas that can be discovered with non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Patients scheduled for surgery with an age range of 65-75 years of age, will participate in brain diffusion-weighted pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (DW-pCASL) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), cognitive assessments, and evaluation of a BBB marker from blood (at baseline, at two weeks, and at six months after surgery). All patients will have a brain scan (MRI) within before surgery and two weeks and six months after surgery. During this visit cognitive function will be assessed. Patients will also be asked to participate in a blood draw.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are a group of novel immunotherapies that boost the body's own defense against the cancer by improving the immune system's ability to recognize and destroy cancer cells. While it is relatively well-documented that conventional cancer treatments (e.g., chemotherapy) are associated with cognitive impairment, virtually nothing is yet known about effects on cognition during and after ICI treatment. Due to significantly improved survival rates after ICI treatments, it becomes important to map possible adverse effects associated with these treatments. The investigators therefore investigate possible changes in cognitive function in a group of cancer patients from prior to ICI treatment to nine months later. A gender- and age- matched healthy control group will serve as a comparison. The study has the potential to broaden our understanding of associations between cognition, the brain, and the immune system and to provide clinically relevant knowledge about possible cognitive impairments associated with immunotherapy.