Active clinical trials for "Cognitive Dysfunction"

The purpose of this study is to investigate how RA affect the brain structures in RA-patients and if anti-inflammatory treatment that target TNF-α or JAK OR physical training of hands has positive impact on neuropsychiatric symptoms and morphological changes in the brain caused by the disease. The goal of this research project is to improve the knowledge of morphological changes in brain developed in connection to RA and to identify clinical and serological markers to predict development of those changes and finally, to investigate if anti-rheumatic interventions counteract destructive processes in the central nervous system (CNS) and improve the patient's health with respect to functionality, pain experience and psychological well-being.

The goal of this study is to explore the effects of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation(tVNS) on improving cognition in community-dwelling elderly people. The study will recruit 120 subjects. Participants will undergo baseline cognitive assessment, EEG and eye tracking. Participants will be randomized to tVNS group and sham group. All subjects will repeat the baseline assessments after 1st session, 5th session，10th session and within 3 days after 10th session.

This is a phase 2B multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group dose finding study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of PQ912, an inhibitor of the glutaminyl cyclase enzyme, in 250 subjects with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia due to Alzheimer 's Disease.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro conduct a single-arm intervention trial to investigate the efficacy of a music-based group exercise program for community-dwelling older adults. Up to forty participants will be recruited to participate in a music-based light-to-moderate intensity group exercise program for 20 weeks (30 - 40 min/day, up to 6 days/week), which is designed for older adults with or without functional limitations to exercise with chairs for the improvement of aerobic capacity, upper and lower body strength, and balance control at a gradually increasing pace. During the exercise sessions, participants will be trained to move in time with music playlists in synchronous tempos. Primary outcomes are cognitive performance, mobility, and health-related quality of life measured before and after the intervention. Secondary outcomes are adherence to the exercise program as a potential mediator of the treatment.

The primary objective of this study is to investigate whether a tablet-based role-playing game is more effective than tablet-based word or image puzzles at improving executive functions in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. The secondary objective of this study is to investigate whether a tablet-based role-playing game will show higher levels of engagement (measured by time played) in older adults with mild cognitive impairment than tablet-based word or image puzzles.

Pilot testing and development of an immersive virtual reality system for spatial navigation training in mild cognitive impairment syndrome.

The purpose of the study is to see if daily transdermal nicotine is able to produce a significant cognitive, clinical and functional improvement in participants with MCI. Neuronal nicotinic receptors have long been known to play a critical role in memory function in preclinical studies, with nicotine improving attention, learning, and memory function. The study will enroll 380 participants for a 2 year period. Participants will be randomized (50:50) to either the transdermal nicotine, beginning at 7mg/day, and increasing to 21mg/day, or placebo skin patch.

Background and objects Amyloid plaques and tau protein are the landmarks of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). On the other hand, it is reported that cerebral ischemia may induce amyloid plaques and tau protein accumulation. However, it was difficult to in vivo disentangle the complex and dynamic interactions between AD pathophysiology and cerebral vascular injury during the post-stroke cognitive impairment development in the past. With the advent of novel radiotracers specific to cerebral amyloid plaques and tau protein, we aim to conduct a prospective multimodal neuroimaging cohort study to investigate the contribution of vascular injury, amyloid plaque and tau protein to cognitive impairment. Subjects and methods The prospective project plans to recruit patients with vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) (Group A, n=80), Alzheimer's disease/mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (Group B, n = 120), fronto-temporal dementia (FTD) (Group C, n =30), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) (Group E, n = 80). In addition, another 30 healthy people will be recruited as the control group (Group D, n=30). [18F]AV45 and [18F]MNI-958(PMPBB3) PET will be done for imaging cerebral amyloid plaque and tau protein distribution, brain MRI for obtaining structural and functional information, and neuropsychological tests for cognitive performance. Cognitive evaluation will be repeated 18 months after recruitment. In addition, APOE genotyping will be performed as well. By obtaining the neuroimaging information, such as severity of white matter change and infarction, cortical and hippocampal atrophy, and SUVRs of [18F]AV-45 and [18F]MNI-958(PMPBB3) PET, the study will be able to investigate the composite influence of cerebrovascular disease and neurodegenerative pathology on the trajectory of cognitive impairment. Group comparisons will be performed using the Chi-square test, independent t test, Mann-Whitney U test, ANOVA test, and multiple linear regression, where appropriate. Anticipation In this project, we will be able to explore the distribution patterns of amyloid plaque and tau protein among dementia patients with different etiologies, and also evaluate their influence on cognition

This study will use a PET/MRI scanner and an investigational radioactive drug called [F-18]DPA-714 that measures inflammation in the brain, also called neuroinflammation, before chemotherapy and after 3 to 6 cycles of chemotherapy given as part of your clinical care. In addition, this study will use a PET/MRI scanner with an investigational radioactive drug called [C-11]PiB that measures the amount of abnormal protein (called beta-amyloid) in the brain that is a marker of Alzheimer's disease pathology. One of the most common complaints among breast cancer survivors is cognitive or memory problems especially in older adults. Researchers need to better understand the mechanisms and risk factors for cognitive problems in order to address this problem. This study seeks to examine two mechanisms, neuroinflammation and amyloid deposition, that have been suggested in other age-related cognitive disorders. This study may help physicians and researchers develop new treatments to protect the brain in cancer patients. UAB plans to enroll 20 participants in this study.

Yearly 15 million babies worldwide are born too soon. 10% of these preterm births occur very early before 32 weeks of gestation and these newborns are at high risk for neurodevelopmental disorders later in life. Neurocognitive disorders now touch 27% of the European population, and 5% or 3.3 million children suffer from social and learning difficulties, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders and autism, whose rates are increasing and prematurity contributes to this rise. Cognition, and socio-emotional competence are based on intact brain structure and functions that are formed early in development, both pre- and post-natally, and are heavily influenced by environment. Ramon y Cajal in his studies on the making of the brain clearly stated: "The total arborisation of a neuron represents the graphic history of conflicts suffered during its developmental life". Understanding how environment affects early brain development and defining timing and mode of early interventions to enhance brain development in high risk populations, such as preterm infants, is currently acknowledged as a fundamental endeavor for the scientific community (see guidelines of the National Scientific Council for the Developing Child). Interventions to improve and maintain cognitive and socio-emotional skills are to become an essential tool of medical care for high-risk infants. The goal of this study is to test the impact of a Mindfulness-based intervention - considered to target brain networks previously described as affected by prematurity and improve socio-emotional and executive functions. Mindfulness based intervention (intentional self-regulation of attention) will be performed in 10-13 year old preterm children, both from our prior studied preterm cohorts. Overall, our planned research will fill an important gap in our theoretical understanding of the brain vulnerability linked to prematurity. Even more importantly, the compelling issue of how to build cognitive and emotional resilience in preterm children will be addressed by preventing the onset of difficulties and reducing them with appropriate interventions.