This study will measure levels of a number of different proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and in blood in order to compare these biomarker levels amongst people who have normal cognitive ability, mild memory problems, early Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or other memory related disorders.
Criteria
no lower back problems
not on Coumadin or other blood thinner
study partner
good general health
Study Procedures
1 to 2 in-person visits and phone follow up assessment
People who have Dementia with Lewy Bodies are known to experience unusual visual experiences. Dr. Hamilton is studying these changes in an effort to identify better ways of diagnosing the disease and tracking its progression. Patients will be given paper-pencil and computerized tests of visual perception that test their ability to identify figures, locate targets, and detect motion. The tests take about two hours to complete and can be done at the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center or at the patient’s home. The results of these studies may provide a means for evaluating the effects of therapeutic drugs that may be tested in the future, while helping us understand why these visual changes occur.
Click here to read more if you have a diagnosis of Dementia with Lewy Bodies
Click here to read more if you are concerned that you might have Dementia with Lewy Bodies, but you do not have a diagnosis.
Dr. Brewer is evaluating new neuroimaging techniques that might distinguish dementia with Lewy bodies from other neurodegenerative diseases. For patients, the procedure simply involves resting in an MRI scanner for about 40 minutes while images are taken of the brain. Dr. Brewer will then measure the volumes of several brain structures involved in memory and visual processing. He will also use a new imaging procedure called diffusion tensor imaging to examine the connectivity between brain regions in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies. The knowledge gained from these studies may aid in the development of noninvasive biomarkers of various neurodegenerative diseases, which may be used for clinical diagnosis and for evaluating the effects of new therapeutics.
Dr. Salmon is studying whether patients with DLB, PDD, and AD produce distinct patterns of impairment on cognitive tasks sensitive to deficits in implicit feedback-based category learning, visuospatial function, language/semantic memory, and episodic memory. The primary purpose of his study is to extend and refine our knowledge about neuropsychological deficits in DLB and PDD and to elucidate how they differ from those of AD.
Are you interested in participating in a research study but don't currently see one that suits you? You can now join our Research Registry to be placed on a list for future studies.
*Call the ADRC 858-822-4800 and ask for Christina Gigliotti for more information.
