MRI and PET Biomarkers for Cognitive Decline in Older Adults
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2024-12-22
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
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.