MRI of Alzheimer's Disease Imaging Amyloid Plaques in Persons With and Without Memory Problems

Completed

Conditions studied: Alzheimer's Disease

In brief

The study will investigate the possibility of detecting early signs of Alzheimer's disease using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). If plaques, types of damage, can be imaged by MRI, the procedure could be used in clinical trials and may also help in the clinical diagnosis of patients. Alzheimer's disease, a progressive disease, is a major cause of functional disability and institutionalization, affecting 4.5 million people in the United States, a number that will more than triple by 2030 as the population ages. Patients ages 55 to 90 who have mild symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and who are in good health may be eligible for this study. Twenty patients will be recruited from Johns Hopkins' Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. There will also be a control group of 20 people without the disease. Healthy patients and volunteers will have a clinical MRI brain scan and a neurological examination at Johns Hopkins Hospital before the 7T MRI scan. Also, patients will have a Mini-Mental State Examination, a standardized test to evaluate memory, done at Johns Hopkins within 4 weeks of the 7T MRI. This study uses a device situated at the NIH Bethesda campus that operates at a high magnetic field strength of 7 Tesla, that is, the unit used to measure the strength of a strong magnet. The Food and Drug Administration has categorized MRI up to 8 Tesla as not a significant health risk. MRI scanning is routinely done at magnetic field strengths up to 4T. MRI images are created through the use of a large magnet and radio waves. During the procedure, patients lie on a table moved into a strong magnetic field. They are asked to lie still but can easily hear and speak to research staff. A respiratory belt is placed around the chest, and a finger probe is placed on the finger, to monitor breathing and heart rate. For obtaining a better picture, a special lightweight coil may be placed on or around the patient's head. The scan takes from 20 minutes to 2 hours, with most scans at 45 to 90 minutes. Due to limited experience with the use of 7T MRI and its investigational nature, patients will be asked to complete a questionnaire immediately after the study. They will be asked about their comfort level and if they experienced unusual sensations. Answers will be reviewed with patients by an experienced MRI investigator to get details of any unusual sensations reported. If patients experience unusual sensations, they are followed up by phone within 24 hours. This study wi...

Key facts

Study ID

NCT00413621

Run by

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

People needed

40

Starts

2006-12-14

Last updated by the study team

2017-07-02

Who can join

Age: 55 and older, up to 90. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may not qualify if…

• Inability to cooperate.
• A subject will be excluded if he/she has a contraindication to MR scanning such as the following: claustrophobia, pregnancy, aneurysm clip; implanted neural stimulator; implanted cardiac pacemaker or auto-defibrillator; cochlear implant; ocular foreign body (e.g. metal shavings) or insulin pump.
• Subjects who underwent brain surgery, or other neurological disease (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's disease, significant brain vascular disease, brain trauma).
• Evidence of cerebrovascular risk factors, including diabetes, arrhythmias, and lacunar infarcts seen on MRI.
• History of vertigo, seizure disorder, middle-ear disorder, and double vision.
• Active major psychiatric illness.
• Dental work such as ferromagnetic crowns or bridges.

Where it is running

• Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike — Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

Trial information comes from ClinicalTrials.gov and is refreshed daily. TrialsForMe does not provide medical care and does not run the studies it lists.