Biomarker Exploration in Aging, Cognition and Neurodegeneration

Summary

The purpose of this research study is to understand the factors that underlie changes in thinking and memory with increasing age. The investigators will test the usefulness of MRI, PET, and cognitive testing in detecting subtle changes in the brain that precede cognitive decline. An addendum to this study includes additional PET scans to examine the relationship between tau protein in the brain and cognitive decline. Tau is a protein that is known to form tangles in the areas of the brain important for memory, and these tau tangles are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. This sub-study research aims to look at the tau accumulation in the brain using an investigational drug called MK-6240, which is a radio tracer that gets injected prior to a positron emission tomography (PET) scan.

Timeline

Start

2018-05-01

Primary completion

2026-12-22

Completion

2027-12-22

Publications

• Results Stevenson RF, Reagh ZM, Chun AP, Murray EA, Yassa MA. Pattern Separation and Source Memory Engage Distinct Hippocampal and Neocortical Regions during Retrieval. J Neurosci. 2020 Jan 22;40(4):843-851. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0564-19.2019. Epub 2019 Nov 20.
• Results Holbrook AJ, Tustison NJ, Marquez F, Roberts J, Yassa MA, Gillen DL; Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative section sign. Anterolateral entorhinal cortex thickness as a new biomarker for early detection of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement (Amst). 2020 Aug 25;12(1):e12068. doi: 10.1002/dad2.12068. eCollection 2020.
• Results Chappel-Farley MG, Mander BA, Neikrug AB, Stehli A, Nan B, Grill JD, Yassa MA, Benca RM. Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea are associated with less frequent exercise and worse subjective cognitive function across adulthood. Sleep. 2022 Mar 14;45(3):zsab240. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsab240.
• Results Adams JN, Kim S, Rizvi B, Sathishkumar M, Taylor L, Harris AL, Mikhail A, Keator DB, McMillan L, Yassa MA. Entorhinal-Hippocampal Circuit Integrity Is Related to Mnemonic Discrimination and Amyloid-beta Pathology in Older Adults. J Neurosci. 2022 Nov 16;42(46):8742-8753. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1165-22.2022. Epub 2022 Oct 27.
• Results Adams JN, Marquez F, Larson MS, Janecek JT, Miranda BA, Noche JA, Taylor L, Hollearn MK, McMillan L, Keator DB, Head E, Rissman RA, Yassa MA. Differential involvement of hippocampal subfields in the relationship between Alzheimer's pathology and memory interference in older adults. Alzheimers Dement (Amst). 2023 Apr 5;15(2):e12419. doi: 10.1002/dad2.12419. eCollection 2023 Apr-Jun.

Drugs

Indications