UK Validation of the Automated "AcceXible" Speech Analysis Software
Mild Cognitive Impairment and DementiaDementia, especially dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease, is considered one of the most severe health problems of our time. It is currently known that the disease begins many years before clinical symptoms appear. The sooner the patient is diagnosed, the sooner the patient will be in a position to prevent further deterioration. A recent orientation is the analysis of language in relation to the description of images with a high and varied semantic and emotional content. It can be studied that changes in the description of an image check if these changes are associated with the evolution of a person with probable impairment both in memory and cognitive as well as emotional, psychiatric, behavioral and even in their interaction with environmental factors especially those associated with socialization and loneliness. The present study has the objective of validating a digital method for detection and follow-up of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia in a memory clinic setting.
DC Longitudinal Study on Aging and Specimen Bank
Alzheimer DiseaseDementia3 moreThe Georgetown University Memory Disorders Program, part of the Department of Neurology, is conducting pilot studies of the feasibility of various diagnostic tests for Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment and other neurodegenerative diseases. Further, this study is assessing longitudinal changes in biological, lifestyle, and cognitive assessment collection. The primary goal of this study is to examine the feasibility of biochemical assays, genetic testing, and cognitive and lifestyle assessments in the ante-mortem diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment and other neurodegenerative diseases. This research involves genetic and cognitive status testing but the findings will not be shared with research subjects. This will be accomplished ex vivo using blood, and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from patients with a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, or other neurodegenerative diseases and from normal controls.
ARTFL LEFFTDS Longitudinal Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (ALLFTD)
Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD)Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)12 moreARTFL LEFFTDS Longitudinal Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (ALLFTD) represents the formalized integration of ARTFL (U54 NS092089; funded through 2019) and LEFFTDS (U01 AG045390; funded through 2019) as a single North American research consortium to study FTLD for 2019 and beyond.
Cerebrovascular Correlates of Dementia in Rural Communities - The Three Villages Study
DementiaCardiovascular Risk Factor3 moreThis study aims to assess the prevalence and severity of dementia in an established cohort of community-dwelling older adults living in three neighboring rural Ecuadorian villages (Atahualpa, El Tambo, and Prosperidad), as well as to evaluate clinical and neuroimaging correlates of dementia in the study population. By the use of the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDRS), the study also aims to assess the lower cutoff of the MoCA that better correlates with the occurrence of dementia in the study population. In addition, this study will provides grounds for the initiation of a prospective cohort study to assess factors influencing the development of dementia in the follow-up.
Characterization of Inclusion Body Myopathy Associated With Paget's Disease of Bone and Frontotemporal...
Inclusion Body Myopathy With Early-onset Paget Disease and Frontotemporal DementiaPaget Disease of Bone2 moreThe investigators are researching families with inherited inclusion body myopathy (IBM) and/or Paget disease of bone (PDB) and/or dementia (FTD) which is also called IBMPFD. IBMPFD is caused by mutations in the VCP gene. Our main goal is to understand how changes in the VCP gene cause the muscle, bone and cognitive problems associated with the disease. The investigators are collecting biological specimen such as blood and urine samples, family and medical histories, questionnaire data of patients with a personal or family history of VCP associated disease. Participants do not need to have all symptoms listed above in order to qualify. A select group of participants may be invited to travel to University of California, Irvine for a two day program of local procedures such as an MRI and bone scan. Samples are coded to maintain confidentiality. Travel is not necessary except for families invited for additional testing.
Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Study
Alzheimer DiseaseLate Onset Alzheimer Disease1 moreThe purpose of the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Study is to identify the genes that are responsible for causing Alzheimer's Disease (AD). One of the ways in which the risk factor genes for late onset AD can be investigated is by identifying and collecting genetic material from families with multiple members diagnosed with AD or dementia.
Pilot of a New Cognitive Assessment Tool for Detecting Dementia in the Migrant Somali Population...
DementiaAims The investigators want to find out if the tool that they have made to assess memory and thinking in Somali elders ( the 'MSCAT') is acceptable to that community and practical to administer and score. The public will benefit from this research because it seeks to enhance reliability of diagnosis of dementia, thus access to support and treatment for people from an ethnic minority group experiencing memory problems. Background The investigators are a group of staff from the Memory Assessment Service in Manchester. There are currently no suitable tests for dementia for people from Somalia. Research evidence tells us there are many reasons why the tools that used now are not working. This includes: differences in culture and ways of life that are very different to a British born person who has lived in the UK for all of their life. Somali people find out at a later stage if they have dementia resulting in delayed treatment/support. This research supports the government's promise to improve the pathway to a diagnosis of dementia for minority groups. Design and methods 10 participants The investigators will compare the assessment tool (MSCAT) that the team have developed to the Addenbrookes Cognitive Examination III tool that is typically used. Participants will be seen at an agreed location (e.g. home, mosque or GMMH trust site). They will meet a Somali speaking researcher to do both tests on 2 appointments and discuss how they found the tests afterwards. The investigators will check participants understanding of the research before they agree to take part. Verbal and written information will be provided. Public involvement The local Somali community helped advise on the creation of the new MSCAT assessment tool. The investigators will write project information for participants in Somali and English. Dissemination of results • Professional conference presentations and publications
Misfolded Proteins in the Skin of People With Parkinson's Disease and Other Parkinsonism
Parkinson DiseaseParkinsonism4 moreThe purpose of this study is to determine whether identification of misfolded proteins in the skin will help to determine what sort of parkinsonism someone has. We seek to demonstrate whether someone has a synucleinopathy such as Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), or dementia with Lewy bodies(DLB), as opposed to a tauopathy such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) or corticobasal degeneration (CBD) or no parkinsonism at all (control).
TRC-PAD Program: In-Clinic Trial-Ready Cohort
Preclinical Alzheimer's DiseaseProdromal Alzheimer's Disease2 moreThe purpose of the TRC-PAD study is to develop a large, well-characterized, biomarker-confirmed, trial-ready cohort to facilitate rapid enrollment into AD prevention trials utilizing the APT Webstudy and subsequent referral to in-clinic evaluation and biomarker confirmation. Participants with known biomarker status may have direct referral to the Trial-Ready Cohort. If you are interested in being selected for the TRC-PAD study, you should first enroll in the APT Webstudy (https://www.aptwebstudy.org/welcome).
Persons With Dementia and Their Extended Family Caregivers
DementiaDementia Alzheimers3 moreImmediate family members shoulder the majority of care responsibilities for persons living with dementia. However, due to various societal changes, elder care responsibilities have expanded to extended family members, including grandchildren, siblings, nieces/nephews, siblings, and step-kin. The main objective of this study is to understand the caregiving journeys of various extended family members involved in dementia care. We aim to learn about caregivers' care management strategies; their use of home and community-based services and informal support; and barriers to service usage. We will use the results from the study to help enhance service delivery, alleviate care-related stress, and improve the quality of life of dementia patients and their caregivers. We will use a mixed-methods design to explore the challenges faced by caregivers as well as their service usage for the person living with dementia. Our methodology involves an initial telephone interview (approx. 70 minutes) that includes open-ended questions, standard items, and structured measures, followed by an 8-day semi-structured daily diary interview about daily care responsibilities and experiences with services (15-20 minutes each evening). This study will be conducted with 240 extended family members serving as one of the main caregivers for a person living with dementia in a community setting.