Active clinical trials for "Alzheimer Disease"

This study is designed to obtain basic information on three PET imaging tracers developed to detect tau pathology in the brain. In this study, healthy control participants and participants with AD will be studied. Information collected will include brain and plasma kinetics, tissue distribution (in the brain), radiation dosimetry, and test-retest variability of the signal in the brain. The study will consist of Part 1, Part 2A, and Part 2B. During Part 1, imaging data will be assessed on an ongoing basis and based on data, one tracer will be prioritized over the other two tracers. The tracer selected will be further investigated in Part 2A and Part 2B.

The imdazoline2 binding site (I2BS) is known to reside inside astrocytes. Changes in the numbers of I2BS in post mortem tissue has implicated them in a range of psychiatric conditions such as depression and addiction, along with neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's chorea. Preclinical studies have also demonstrated functional interactions with the opioid system, where I2BS ligands have been shown to affect tolerance to morphine and alleviate some of the morphine withdrawal syndrome in rats. Recently the I2BS and I2BS ligands have been shown to have some interesting analgesic effects in different models of pain and a novel I2BS ligand, CR4056, is currently undergoing Phase II clinical trials as a novel treatment for neuropathic pain and acute non- specific pain states. The location of I2BS on astrocytic glial cells and the possibility that they may in some way regulate glial fibrillary acidic protein have led to increased interest into the role of I2BS and I2BS ligands in conditions characterised by marked gliosis. The number of I2BS has been shown to increase in Alzheimer's disease post mortem, and it has also been suggested that I2BS may be a marker for the severity and malignancy of human glioblastomas. The lack of suitable imaging tools for the I2BS has meant that information regarding the number and distribution of I2BS in the brain has come from preclinical species and in vitro post-mortem studies. The recent development of [11C]BU99008 as a suitable PET ligand to quantify I2BS in vivo, enables the direct quantification of I2BS availability and regional distribution in the living human brain. In this study the investigators plan to utilise [11C]BU99008 to quantify the regional brain availability of I2BS in the human brain in vivo using PET.

A randomized controlled trial designed to test the effectiveness of a psychological intervention based on group therapy for the caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients. The intervention consists of 14 sessions of a cognitive-behavioral psychological group therapy. This study aims to demonstrate that Alzheimer's patients' caregivers can benefit from group counseling, with an improvement in mood state, quality of life, perceived burden and a decrease in anxiety and depression. Two evaluations will be done: before the therapy sessions (basal) and when intervention is finished (final).

Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of a brief intensive intervention for persons with mild cognitive impairment, assisted by family members or friends. To equip persons with mild cognitive impairment with specific skills to prevent memory failures and improve the capacity of patients and families to cope with everyday memory difficulties.

Over 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, a progressive and irreversible neurodegenerative condition, affecting also close to 15 million family caregivers (CG). Sleep efficiency in AD patients is severely impaired and complicated by frequent night awakenings and nocturnal restlessness. Untreated sleep disruption in AD patients is associated with increased rates of neuropsychiatric symptoms, daytime napping, 'sundowning' behaviors, cognitive and functional decline, and morbidity and mortality. The added strain of sleep disruption is the primary reason family caregivers make the decision to institutionalize AD patients. The circadian abnormalities in the sleep-wake cycle commonly observed in AD patients occur more often in individuals with hypothalamic/ pituitary/adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity. HPA axis hyperactivity may influence diurnal sleep-wake activity by diminishing an AD patient's ability to respond to external zeitgebers which, in turn, can further propagate HPA axis dysfunction. Thus, interventions to normalize diurnal HPA axis patterns may be beneficial in treating sleep-wake disturbances. Nonpharmacologic treatments are the first line therapy in AD patients with sleep wake problems, given the ineffective and potentially harmful effects of pharmacologic agents. Current clinical sleep hygiene practices in institutional (e.g., nursing home) settings holds promise for reducing disruptive sleep by reestablishing circadian patterns in HPA functioning. These interventions include use of timed and planned activities during daylight hours and creating a relaxing environment in the evening. However little systematic work has been done to determine the efficacy of these interventions in the home setting (where most individuals with AD reside). We propose a pilot study to (a) characterize objective sleep parameters and behavioral symptoms of sleep-wake disturbance, and biological indicators of diurnal HPA axis activity in a sample of community residing older adults with AD: (b) examine the effects of timed and planned activities on subjective and objective characteristics of sleep, behavioral symptoms, and HPA status; and (c) evaluate measurement approaches in home-dwelling AD patients. Subjective (CG questionnaires) and objective (wrist actigraphy) characteristics of sleep and behavioral symptoms will be measured in fifty-four AD patients being cared for at home by a family. Patients and CG with then be randomized to receive an intervention of timed, planned activities (TPA) or attention control (AC) condition. We will also obtain diurnal measures of HPA activity including salivary cortisol and alpha amylase.

A thorough QT study of AZD3293

The purpose of this study is to assess the safety, drug levels and effects on the body of 1 or 3 injections of MEDI1814, in people with mild to moderate Alzhiemer's Disease or healthy elderly people.

This study is being done for the following reasons: To determine the safety of LY2886721 and any side effects that may be associated with it and to see how much of the study drug is in the blood and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) when one dose is given to healthy participants and participants diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. It will also look at how safe and tolerable the study drug is when given to healthy participants in higher doses. This research study is being conducted in three groups, referred to as Groups (Cohorts) A, B, or C. Group A will enroll participants with Alzheimer's disease while Groups B and C will enroll healthy participants. For Group A or B, participation in this research study could last up to 34 days. For Group C, participation could last up to 60 days.

Virtual environments and information communication technologies (ICT) offer large perspectives in the field of assistive care and rehabilitation. As potentially endless, the scenarios and environment used using 3D can provide immersive social and interactive context for enjoyable and therapeutic exercises in the aging population. In addition it is also possible to use this type of serious game and scenario in very easy to use devices such as lap top or tablet. Social exclusion has many causes, Apathy as one of the most common behavioural disturbances found in old adults populations alters significantly social and emotional interaction. Even though, progress in VR has been made over the past year, the presence of such technology in daily living space is still at the embryonic stage. The European e-Inclusion policy stresses the importance of ICT in improving the quality of life in potentially disadvantaged groups, including older people and persons. The VERVE project is developing ICT tools to support the treatment of people who are at risk of social exclusion due to apathy associated with a disability. As people aged and autonomy worsen fear for safety and comfortable means to maintain social and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL) status are public health issues. Moreover, even though older adults would like to perform some activities such as walking in the streets some are reluctant to go out of their homes as the external environment is perceived as potentially unsafe. Apathy, the most common behavioural symptoms in aging population is characterized by symptoms of reduced initiation and responsiveness to environmental interactions. The syndrome of Apathy takes form of diminished goal-directed behaviour, characterised by emotional blunting, loss of initiative and loss of interest. Apathy along with the nosological characteristics of dementia induces impairment in autonomy level and therefore dependence as cognitive impairments worsened. The importance of stimulation could be related to the concept of engagement defined as the act of being occupied or involved with an external stimulus. Engaging older person with or without Alzheimer's disease and related disorders in appropriate activities has been shown to yield beneficial HRQL effects such increasing positive emotion, improving cognition, functional autonomy and quality of life. Accordingly, enriched environments with high definition virtual representation of cities and activities of interest have the potentials not only to encourage patients to get active in a safe and interactive environment but also to create access to enjoyable and stimulating settings for the more severe patients. The VR setting from VERVE proposed personalised and populated environments available on two different, but interlinked hardware platforms: 1/: standard gaming set-up in the home, nursing home or day hospital therapy group; and 2/ mobile tracked internet devices (e.g.,IPad). The system will ensure maximum openness and dissemination by using 3D Web technologies.

Dementia is a progressive decline in cognition that impairs a person's ability to perform activities of daily living. Changes in mood, gait, and balance are prominent secondary symptoms of Alzheimer's dementia that can dramatically decrease quality of life for the person with dementia and increase caregiver burden. The overall aim of this study is to determine the independent and combined effects of dance movement and social engagement on quality of life in people with early-stage dementia, and test the neural mechanisms of these effects.