Tennessee Alzheimer's Project

Launched by VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · May 11, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The Tennessee Alzheimer's Project is a clinical trial aimed at understanding Alzheimer's disease and related conditions. Researchers at the Vanderbilt Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (VADRC) want to gather information from a diverse group of participants to help improve early detection, prevention, and treatment of Alzheimer's. They plan to enroll up to 1,000 individuals aged 60 and older who may be cognitively healthy, have mild cognitive impairment, or have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The goal is to create a strong foundation for future research by collecting clinical data, brain scans, and biological samples.

If you or a loved one are interested in participating, you'll need to be at least 60 years old, speak English, and fit into one of the cognitive categories mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, individuals with certain serious mental health issues or neurological conditions, as well as those who can't undergo an MRI scan, won't be able to join. Participants will visit the center once a year for thorough evaluations and may also be referred to other studies that could enhance Alzheimer's research. Your involvement could help pave the way for better understanding and treatment of this challenging disease.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Age 60 or older
• • Meet standard criteria for (a) cognitively unimpaired, (b) mild cognitive impairment, or (c) Alzheimer's disease
• • English speaking
• • Individuals who lack decisional capacity to provide informed consent at baseline will not be enrolled in the study
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • No available reliable study partner (reliable is defined as someone who interacts significantly with the participant and is available to participate in study visits in person or by phone)
• • History of major psychiatric illness (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar), neurological illness (e.g., epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease), or head injury with significant loss of consciousness.
• • Unable to undergo MRI (e.g., claustrophobia, ferrous metal in body)