Quantitative Imaging of Brain Glymphatic Function in Humans

Running, not enrolling · Early Phase 1

Conditions studied: Parkinson Disease

In brief

Recent immunological and physiological studies have provided evidence in support of a central nervous system (CNS) lymphatic drainage system in vertebrate animals, and preliminary evidence has suggested that a similar system exists in humans. If operative, this system may have central relevance to many vascular and fluid clearance disorders such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease related dementia (ADRD): diseases which represent some of the most pressing healthcare challenges of the 21st century. Evaluating this possibility will require improved, robust imaging methods sensitive to lymphatic drainage dysfunction; as such, the goal of this work is to apply novel magnetic resonance imaging approaches, optimized already for evaluating lymphatic circulation in patients with peripheral lymphatic dysfunction, to quantify relationships between physiological hallmarks of ADRD and CNS lymphatic function in humans.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT04768101

Run by

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

People needed

140

Starts

2020-04-15

Expected to finish

2026-12-31

Last updated by the study team

2026-04-09

Who can join

Age: 55 and older, up to 80. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease or controls
• willing to participate in PET and MRI imaging

You may not qualify if…

• recent stimulant use
• unstable diabetes
• prior stroke
• claustrophobia
• prior cancer treatment with chemotherapy
• history of traumatic brain injury
• any unstable medical condition

Where it is running

• Vanderbilt University Medical Center — Nashville, Tennessee, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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