Active clinical trials for "Cognitive Dysfunction"

The initial goal of the investigators interdisciplinary group of imagers, oncologists, neurologists, neuro-psychologists, and biostatisticians is to obtain proof of concept pilot data for eventual submission of a National Cancer Institute Quick-Trial for Imaging and Image-Guided Interventions: Exploratory Grant (R10) depending on the results of this pilot study. The overall objective is to use [18F]Flutemetamol, FDG-PET, and MRI to better understand CICI, which effects up to 16 -50% of individuals receiving long-term adjuvant chemotherapy.2,3 To date there have been few studies examining this problem using multi-modality imaging techniques to better understand this complex and significant problem. FDG-PET and MRI are routinely used in clinical practice for the evaluation of cognitive dysfunction in older populations complaining of memory dysfunction. It is well recognized that FDG-PET can assist with the differentiation and characterization of various cognitive disorders due to unique patterns of cerebral metabolism caused by various cognitive and dementia-causing disorders.4-6 FDG-PET has been studied extensively in dementia research and has a high reliability in detecting Alzheimers disease (AD) many years before it can be diagnosed reliably using clinical criteria.4 To the investigators knowledge, there has been only a single small study using FDG-PET and bolus water activation paradigms in cancer patients complaining of memory problems.7 To date, there have been no studies using [18F]Flutemetamol as a PET imaging agent to assess the possibility of increased amyloid plaque burden as a potential contributing factor to the cognitive deficits and complaints seen in patients experiencing CICI. The novel feature of this project is in the combined use of [18F]Flutemetamol-PET, FDG-PET, and anatomic MRI to study a poorly understood but common problem: cognitive impairment in breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. If [18F]Flutemetamol, FDG-PET, and MRI can provide information on the pathophysiology of this disorder, it will be an important step in better understanding the etiology of this phenomenon and possibly other conditions resulting in cognitive dysfunction. These imaging assessments will make it possible to explore any altered changes in cerebral structure, metabolism, and amyloid deposition that may be responsible for CICI. This may help to predict which individuals may be affected by this problem and provide information for eventual therapeutic strategies to treat this common cancer-associated disorder. This study will use [18F]Flutemetamol and FDG-PET imaging to assess and quantify the amyloid plaque burden and cerebral glucose metabolism, respectively, in breast cancer patients suffering from CICI and correlate those findings with structural changes on MRI. The [18F]Flutemetamol and FDG-PET scans of these study patients will then be compared to two GE software databases (CortexID-FDG and CortexID-Flutemetamol) which contain scan data from healthy control individuals to evaluate for abnormalities in cerebral glucose metabolism and amyloid plaque burden differing from the values expected for individuals in their age range.

Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction(POCD)is a common postoperative complications, existing clinical research focused on the adult patients, ignoring that the developing human brain with underlying neurological impairments may be at higher risk for cognitive impairment, so we need a prospective study, observe this kind of "special groups" in the brain structure and function of before and after general anesthesia, To determine the susceptibility to neurotoxicity of general anesthesia drugs.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a common, inherited blood disorder that primarily affects people of African Ancestry. It has a lot of complications including neurological complications. The neurological complications of SCD are particularly devastating and lead to cognitive decline even in the absence of overt brain injury. In such cases, it is thought that inflammation in the brain maybe partly responsible for the cognitive decline. The main reasons for this research study are to see 1) how safe and 2) how well minocycline works to try to stop/reverse cognitive decline in people with SCD. People with SCD are at risk for changes in their brain over time that can cause problems with learning, memory, and attention. Part of the reason for this is inflammation within the brain. Minocycline may be able to stop these brain changes by stopping this brain inflammation. Minocycline is a second-generation tetracycline antibiotic that has been shown to both inhibit neuroinflammation and improve cognitive function in a variety of neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders but has not yet been studied in SCD. We are proposing here, a pilot double-blinded, randomized controlled trial to examine the tolerability and early efficacy of minocycline in adults with SCD at two dosing regimens (200 mg and 300 mg daily) versus placebo over one year. Participants will undergo a neuropsychological exam using the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery at both study enrollment and exit (after one year) to assess for changes/stability of cognition. Participants will receive monthly phone calls/text messages to assess for adverse events and will be seen every three months for pill counts and routine laboratory monitoring. The primary outcome will be a comparison of adverse events across the two dosing strategies versus placebo. Early evidence for cognitive benefit will also be assessed from the results of the NIH Toolbox.

The goal of this observational study is to determine the feasibility of using integrated Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography or Near Infrared Spectroscopy to detect changes in cerebral autoregulation and neurovascular coupling in healthy, stroke, dementia, depression and delirium populations. We also aim to: Determine the optimal stimulus for neurovascular coupling To derive sample size estimates for a future study To develop a multilevel, multivariate model that can be applied to future datasets

To investigate the impact of rTMS on the incidence of perioperative neurocognitive disorders in patients after after cardiac surgerysurgery. To explore the underlying mechanisms behind the efficacy.

Hypertension is an risk factor for cognitive impairment. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of 12-week computerized cognitive training in people with hypertension and mild cognitive impairment. The researchers will further investigate the long-term effects of cognitive training by prolonging the intervention for 24 weeks among a randomly selected sub-group.

Poor sleep quality and short sleep duration may be a mechanistic component of cognitive impairment in older adults, associated with a decline in brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Increasing the availability of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) with supplementation of its precursor, nicotinamide riboside (NR), a form of vitamin B3 may increase the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This study proposes to examine the benefits of NR supplementation on sleep and cognitive function in older adults with comprehensive subjective and objective measures and to explore its impacts on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

This is an observational study. Patients who fulfill all inclusion criteria and none of the exclusion criteria will be enrolled in the study, be neurologically evaluated and will go through EEG recordings while listening to an auditory cognitive assessment tool and preforming tasks. EEG recordings will be analyzed using proprietary computational analyses.

Dementia Care Management (DeCM) is an evidence-based model of care in Germany. It has proven its efficacy and cost-effectiveness. However it has not been implemented into routine care so far. The aim of this trial is to implement Dementia Care Management into routine care in a selected region in Germany and evaluate the process of implementation as well as the effect of Dementia Care Management on participants. Recruited in regular routine care n=60 people with cognitive impairment and/ or their cares will receive Dementia Care Management provided by specifically trained and qualified dementia care managers for 6 months. Data will be assessed and analysed prior to the implementation, immediately after having received the intervention and at a later time point. The effect of the intervention on person-oriented health care outcomes wil be analysed as well as factors associated with that.

Rationale: Cardiovascular disease and cognitive diseases are closely related. Cognitive impairment is common (21-39%) among patients with severe aortic valve stenosis. The proof-of-concept CP-TAVI study showed that increased cardiac output following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) was associated with increased cerebral blood flow. It is hypothesized that increased cerebral blood flow (CBF) subsequently leads to improved cognitive functioning. Additionally, silent micro emboli caused by crushing of the calcified native valve during TAVI may cause cognitive deterioration. If it could be predicted which patients are at risk for TAVI induced cerebral micro emboli, these patients could benefit from cerebral protection devices, preventing cognitive decline. Objective: The objectives of the CAPITA study are 1A) to identify whether an increase in cardiac output after TAVI is associated with an increase of global CBF; 1B) explore regional differences in CBF after TAVI; 1C) determine whether (global or regional) increased CBF is associated with improved cognitive functioning; 1D) identify patient and procedural characteristics associated with increased cardiac output, CBF and cognitive functioning; 2A) identify the incidence and volume of new white matter hyperintensities after TAVI; 2B) evaluate patient and procedural predictors for the increase in white matter hyperintensities volume, including baseline aortic valve calcification volume, measured with computed tomography; 2C) if aortic valve calcification volume predicts new white matter hyperintensities, define a cut-off value for high-risk patients; 2D) assess whether the increase in white matter hyperintensity volume is associated with deterioration of cognitive scores. Study design: Prospective observational study, measuring cardiac output (echocardiography), cerebral blood flow (arterial spin labelling magnetic resonance imaging) and cognitive functioning (neuropsychological test battery) prior to TAVI (<24 hours to <one week) and at 3 months follow-up. At one year follow-up, cardiac output and cognitive function will be assessed. Study population: Patients with severe aortic valve stenosis eligible for transfemoral TAVI (n=142). Main study parameters/endpoints: Cardiac output (L/min), cerebral blood flow (mL/100g/min, change in %, relative to baseline) and cognitive functioning (extensive neuropsychological testing 60-90 minutes).