Brain Imaging in Elderly People and Individuals With Alzheimer's Disease

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2005-04-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The purpose of this study is to use brain imaging technology to study the effects of aging and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) on a specific type of brain receptor.

The brain is made up of cells called neurons. The neurons communicate with one another and secrete chemicals called neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters bind to specific sites on other neurons called receptors. Acetylcholine (ACh) is a neurotransmitter that binds to ACh receptors. In both aging and AD, the number of neurons that secrete ACh decreases and the function of some ACh receptors changes. This study will use positron emission tomography (PET) scans of the brain to study the effects of age and AD on muscarinic type 2 [M2], a type of ACh receptor.

Participants in this study will be injected with a radioactive tracer (ligand [F-18] FP-TZTP) which binds to [M2] receptors. Participants will then undergo a PET scan in order for the density and function of [M2] receptors to be studied.

• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Criteria

INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Healthy males and females between 20-100 years old and volunteers with AD.

AD volunteers must meet the NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for possible, probable, or definite AD.

All subjects will be required to be off all prescription medications which could effect the PET scan, such as medications with anticholinergic effects, for two weeks to one month prior to the PET scan, and off psychotropic medication for one month.

Subjects will be cautioned not to consume alcohol, marijuana, or psychotropic drugs while on the study, nor to smoke, use caffeinated beverages, or take over-the-counter medications such as cold medications (ie: Benadryl, Sudafed) for at least 12 hours prior to the PET scan.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Patients withe significant cardiovascular disease, history of alcoholism, significant head trauma, uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, bleeding disorders or other medical conditions which would make it medically unsafe to perform any part of the PET scan or would confound data analysis.

Subjects with evidence of significant chronic disease to be accepted into the healthy control group.

Subjects must not be pregnant.