Active clinical trials for "Cognitive Dysfunction"

This is a multicenter pilot randomized controlled trial, with an active control condition, of the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of EndeavorRx in a cohort of survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia or brain tumor ages 8-16 who are > 1 year from the end of therapy.

There are over 50 million people living with dementia, and by 2050, the number is expected to rise to 152 million worldwide. Mitochondrial dysfunction in the brain of MCI and AD patients is gaining prominence as a potential mechanism and thus treatment target. However, an effective therapy targeting mitochondrial function, is still missing. Photobiomodulation (PBM), is an innovative noninvasive technique that delivers transcranial near infrared light to the brain. PBM is thought to play a key role in enhancing mitochondrial function [especially in tissues with a high number of mitochondria (e.g.,brain)], by reducing oxidative stress and increasing ATP levels. PBM can be safely administered to awake outpatients and does not require general anesthesia or surgical implantation. Recent animal studies, and case studies suggest that PBM is a promising therapy for AD. However, due to the lack of placebo controls and objective blood and neuroimaging biomarkers, the effectiveness and mechanism of action of PBM (via enhancing mitochondrial function) in AD remains to be studied. Objectives: The investigators aim to evaluate cognitive changes and neural correlates associated with PBM in early amnestic MCI (aMCI) during a pilot feasibility study. Participants who meet study criteria will undergo a 6-week trial of home-used PBM using the Neuro Rx Gamma 6days/week, 20 minutes per session (n=20). All patients will undergo clinical and cognitive assessment, blood sample collection, and structural and resting state functional MRI scans in two timepoints; pre and post treatment. The longitudinal nature of the study will allow investigation of the PBM effect and its' neural correlates in aMCI via enhancement of mitochondrial function. The present study provides a unique opportunity to investigate the mitochondrial and neural mechanisms that may be involved in prevention or delay of cognitive decline in aMCI.

This research is being done to determine if computerized administered cognitive fitness activities will improve thinking and depression in older depressed adults who are being treated with antidepressants. The investigators are also interested in whether participating in the treatment will result in changes to brain activity measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The current proposal aims to assess if the combination of Speed of Processing (SoP) training with alpha tACS (α-tACS) is able to increase brain speed of processing as assessed by the Useful Field of View (UFOV) when comparing to SoP training plus sham α-tACS. Moreover, a second aim is to assess if those changes in speed of processing transfer to other cognitive domains, such as memory, language and executive functioning. Furthermore, the mechanisms underlying these interventions will be tested, namely to assess brain connectivity and coherence as assessed by EEG. To that purpose, the aim of the current proposal is to conduct a double-blind, parallel randomized trial assessing the effects of combining SoP with alpha endogenous tACS (either active or sham) in participants with Mild Cognitive impairment (MCI).

The purpose of this study is to investigate neurocognitive mechanisms underlying response to intervention aimed at enhancing, and remediating weaknesses in, numerical skills in children, including those with mathematical learning disabilities (MLD).

The investigators will conduct a randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled trial of approximately 60 patients with minor stroke and post-stroke mild cognitive impairment (psMCI). Participants will be individually randomized on enrollment using a random number generator to treatment with anodal tDCS + computerized cognitive treatment (CCT) versus sham + CCT (approximately 30 patients in each arm). Clinical evaluation including assessment of cognition will be performed pre- and post-intervention by individuals on the study team blinded to the participant's intervention. Participants will also undergo functional neuroimaging with magnetoencephalography (MEG) pre- and post-intervention (1, 3, and 6 months post-stroke to evaluate for initial and longer-term effects of treatment on cerebral activation patterns and functional connectivity). Neuroimaging and clinical outcomes will be assessed to determine the effect of tDCS versus sham + CCT on psMCI.

The present study is a proof-of-concept clinical trial to test the efficacy of low doses of a repurposed anti-epileptic drug (levetiracetam) in treating memory problems in Parkinson's disease (PD). Neuroimaging techniques will be used to determine the effect of the drug on specific brain regions (hippocampal subfields). Finally, baseline brain activity of PD patients with memory problems will be compared to PD patients without memory problems and healthy older adults to determine if activity in specific brain regions (hippocampal subfields) can be used to predict memory problems in PD. This information will be useful for future clinical trials to target drugs to these brain regions.

Anti-viral treatment in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a Phase II, placebo-controlled, 52-week trial using oral valacyclovir 4 g/day in 50 HSV seropositive, AD biomarker-positive, amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients (eMCI and lMCI). The trial will directly address the long-standing viral etiology hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) which posits that viruses, particularly the very common herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV1) and herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV2), may be etiologic or contribute to the pathology of AD. This trial will intervene at an earlier stage (MCI). We will compare the repurposed drug valacyclovir to placebo in patients with amnestic MCI (eMCI and lMCI) in a randomized, double-blind, two-arm parallel group 52-week pilot trial. Our Phase II trial will be the first antiviral drug trial conducted in MCI.

In this study, researchers will learn more about a study drug called BIIB080. The study will focus on participants with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to AD. The main question researchers are trying to answer is if BIIB080 can slow the worsening of AD more than placebo. It will focus on what dose of BIIB080 slows worsening of AD the most. To help answer this question, researchers will use the Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes, also known as the CDR-SB. Clinicians use the CDR-SB to measure several categories of dementia symptoms. The results for each category are added together for a total score. Lower scores are better. Researchers will also learn more about the safety of BIIB080. A description of how the study will be done is given below. Participants will receive either a low dose or high dose of BIIB080 or a placebo as an injection into the fluid around the spinal cord. A placebo looks like the study drug but contains no real medicine. The fluid around the spinal cord is called the cerebrospinal fluid. Participants will be in the study for 105 weeks, or a little over 2 years. This includes the screening and follow-up periods. Participants will be given BIIB080 or placebo once every 12 weeks for a total of 72 weeks. Participants can continue to take certain medications for AD. Participants must be on the same dose of medication for at least 8 weeks before the screening period. After the screening period, most participants will visit the clinic every 6 weeks.

Alzheimer´s disease is a devastating illness that effects the patients as well as their family members. Its prevalence increases exponentially and the burden on the healthcare system is enormous. AD neuropathology begins 15-20 years before the occurrence of cognitive symptoms, which ranges from preclinical stage to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia. Prodromal AD is an early stage of the disease which is characterized by positive biomarkers and MCI. To this day, there is no medication that can cure or halt the progression of the disease and most studies focus on finding reversible risk factors and changing their influence. Several aetiologies have been proposed, like the deposition of amyloid and tau proteins, neuroinflammation and cerebral ischemia due to cerebrovascular factors. The Amyloid deposition, which serves as the biological marker of AD, was originally thought to be the main cause of the disease, however, recent data suggests that it is not the cause and that it might actually has a protective role. On the other hand, it is known today that vascular changes with related tissue ischemia and neuroinflammation have a crucial role in the development of AD in many patients. These pathologies, ischemia & neuroinflammation, can be improved by the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). The goal of this study is to explore the potential beneficial effect of HBOT on prodromal AD.