A Dyadic Telehealth Program For Alzheimer’s Patients/caregivers
open to eligible people ages 18 years and up
This study aims to refine and evaluate feasibility of a telehealth intervention for persons with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. The intervention will use evidence-based techniques for decreasing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and poor sleep, that are commonly reported among this vulnerable group during the COVID-19 pandemic. Improved symptoms among this group may improve their other health outcomes and quality of life and furthermore the quality of care that caregivers provide for persons with Alzheimer’s disease during this challenging time.
at UCLA
Uc San Diego Uc Irvine And Others Seek To Map The Human Brain Over A Lifetime
With a five-year, $126 million grant from the National Institutes of Health , a multi-institution team of researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, UC Irvine, Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Washington University in St. Louis has launched a new Center for Multiomic Human Brain Cell Atlas.
The center is the latest addition to the NIHs Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative, which seeks to describe the human brains cells in unprecedented molecular detail, classifying them into more precise subtypes, pinpointing their locations in the brain and tracking how cellular features change over a lifetime.
The goal is to better understand how neurotypical human brains work and age, said Bing Ren, Ph.D., UC San Diego professor of cellular and molecular medicine and one of the efforts principal investigators.
The project will establish a baseline against which scientists will be able to compare brains with neurological or psychiatric conditions, such as Alzheimers disease, autism, depression and traumatic brain injury which, in turn, can lead to new insights, treatments and therapeutics.
Ultimately this information might help us design gene therapies that target only the cell populations where the treatment is needed delivering the right genes to the right place at the right time.
Mapping The Human Brain
In the new project, researchers will examine 1,500 brain samples . The center will focus not only on gene expression patterns of each cell, but also DNA methylation, chromatin organization and histone modifications in the nucleus molecular events that influence whether genes are turned on or off in a given cell type or at a particular time.
UC Irvine team members will primarily manage brain sample acquisition. As a full member of BICAN, UC Irvine will receive $10 million to collect, process and characterize a broad range of adult brain specimens. An interdisciplinary UC Irvine team, led by Xiangmin Xu, Ph.D., Chancellors Fellow of anatomy & neurobiology and director of the Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, will collaborate with scientists from the other three institutions.
We are pleased to participate in this very large-scale mapping project to identify individual brain cells molecular features, location and how they change over time, said Xu, UCI principal investigator. This precise description will advance our understanding of how individual cells and complex neural networks interact in both space and time, leading to new ways to treat and prevent disorders such as Alzheimers, autism, depression and traumatic brain injury. It will also create a new foundational network for analyzing health and disease structure and function.
Rens team will also map the spatial distribution of hundreds of millions of brain cells.
Also Check: What Is Tau In Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 3 Protocol
open to eligible people ages 55-90
Since its launch in 2004, the overarching aim of the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative has been realized in informing the design of therapeutic trials in AD. ADNI3 continues the previously funded ADNI-1, ADNI-GO, and ADNI-2 studies that have been combined public/private collaborations between academia and industry to determine the relationships between the clinical, cognitive, imaging, genetic and biochemical biomarker characteristics of the entire spectrum of Alzheimer’s disease . The overall goal of the study is to continue to discover, optimize, standardize, and validate clinical trial measures and biomarkers used in AD research.
Irvine, California
Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea Important In The Development Of Alzheimer’s Disease
open to eligible people ages 65-85
Obstructive sleep apnea is common in older adults and has recently been implicated in pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease . Research has shown that sleep disruptions have caused memory impairment. Sleep apnea is a form of sleep disruption. We would like to examine how obstructive sleep apnea may contribute to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
at UCSD
Don’t Miss: What Current Research Is Being Done For Alzheimer’s Disease
Uci Generates Preliminary Evidence Of A Gene Mutation That May Reduce Risk Of Alzheimers Disease
Through new developments in Alzheimers research, UCI scientists have uncovered evidence of P522R, a particular gene mutation that may aid in minimizing the risk of developing Alzheimers disease.
Alzheimers disease is a progressive disorder that slowly deteriorates memory and thinking skills in the brain, eventually leading to a loss in the ability to complete simple tasks such as facilitating a conversation or responding to a stimulus in the environment.
With the discovery of the disease in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alzheimer, its causes today are focused on two suspects: plaques and tangles in proteins.
Beta-amyloid, fragments of a large protein that is located in the bilipid membrane of nerve cell walls, can form plaques when the fragments cluster together due to their chemically sticky nature. Although these amyloid plaques are destructive, the most damaging clumps have been linked to smaller groups of clustered fragments. These smaller clumps block cell-to-cell communication at synapses and also signal immune system cells that trigger inflammation and consume disabled cells nearby.
The CDC reported that as many as 5.8 million Americans had Alzheimers disease in 2020. Since individuals of age 65 and older can develop Alzheimers, increasing age is considered the most important risk factor. However, reducing the risk of Alzheimers disease has recently become a possibility through particular findings that emerged in a study directed by faculty at UCI.
Brain Boosters Study: Lifestyle Changes To Promote Healthy Aging
open to eligible people ages 65-90
The purpose of this research is to determine if training in memory support aids and healthy lifestyle activities can have a positive effect on memory, thinking, and activities that people do every day. Participation in this study will involve being placed into one of two groups: a Self-Guided Intervention Group or a Structured Intervention Group. Both groups will be asked to attend group sessions in which they will be provided education on memory support strategies and lifestyle changes. The Structured Intervention Group will also be provided with an iPad and a digital application to track their activity. Study participation involves a 6-month intervention and completing outcome measures at 4 different time points for up to a year.
at UC Davis
Also Check: What Causes Hiccups In Dementia Patients
Groundbreaking Study On Alzheimer’s Disease Taking Place At Uc Irvine
IRVINE A groundbreaking study focusing on Alzheimer’s disease is taking place at UC Irvine.
According to doctors, someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer’s disease every 67 seconds.
KCAL9’s Michele Gile spoke with Alzheimer’s patient, Lucy Lisabeth, who plans to donate her brain to science one day.
Lisabeth was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment at 62. According to doctors, this diagnosis is usually a precursor to developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Four years later, she was diagnosed with mild Alzheimer’s disease.
“I didn’t have any clue that anything was really going on,” Lisabeth added
During her diagnosis, Lisabeth lived in Mission Viejo with her husband Roger and taught third grade.
Her husband shared that he noticed back in 2009 that his wife was not remembering things that he said to her.
“It was my telling her what we were going to be doing on the weekend and then having to tell her more than once,” Roger Lisabeth said.
“The kids in the class would tell me ‘You told us that yesterday’ or ‘You told us that already,’ ” Lisabeth added. “I’d say ‘Well, I just wanted to make sure you knew.’ “
The couple visited UCI Mind, a federally funded Alzheimer’s disease research center in Orange County, shortly after discovering her lapse of memory.
Gile also spoke with a researcher who is part of a clinical study at UCI Mind to attempt to one day slow memory loss.
“This is the first step toward developing a prevention for Alzheimer’s disease,” said Aimee Pierce.
Mri And Pet Biomarkers For Cognitive Decline In Older Adults
open to eligible people ages 60-85
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 scan.
Irvine, California
Read Also: How Does Vascular Dementia Differ From Alzheimer’s Disease
A Dyadic Sleep Intervention For Alzheimer’s Disease Patients And Their Caregivers
Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients
Studies consistently show the negative health impact of sleep problems in both Alzheimer’s disease patients and their caregivers. However, only a few sleep interventions have been conducted for AD patients or their caregivers in community settings and none have addressed both members of the dyad concurrently. To fill these gaps, this study aims to develop a sleep intervention program specifically tailored for AD patient/caregiver dyads who both experience sleep difficulties.
at UCLA
Prestigious $11 Million Renewal Grant Continues Highly Impactful Programs
UC Irvines Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders has received a five-year, $11 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to renew its status as one of only 27 Alzheimers Disease Research Centers in the nation and the only one in Orange County.
The prestigious award, which supports a major component of UCI MIND, will allow the center to continue its highly impactful clinical and basic research programs, as well as community and caregiver education programs.
With its ADRC designation, UCI MIND is part of an elite network of researchers with a broad scope of expertise, spanning many different disciplines, said Frank LaFerla, the Hana & Francisco J. Ayala Dean of the Francisco J. Ayala School of Biological Sciences and the ADRC leader. This opportunity for collaboration allows researchers around the country to share cutting-edge ideas and research results.
Involving more than 100 investigators, the ADRC has directed its research efforts at discovering the cellular, molecular and clinical risk factors that trigger neuronal dysfunction and neuropathological changes in the aging brain and that can result in Alzheimers disease or other forms of dementia. In particular, the ADRC studies three distinct groups: people with Down syndrome and Alzheimers disease, those with mild cognitive problems at risk for dementia, and nonagenarian subjects in the 90+ Study.
Also Check: Can A 20 Year Old Get Alzheimer’s
Research And Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are essential to advancing Alzheimers disease research at a time when Alzheimers is reaching epidemic proportions. Without clinical trials, there can be no better treatments, no prevention and no cure for Alzheimers disease. Scientists work relentlessly to find enhanced ways to treat diseases, but improved treatments can never become a reality without testing in clinical trials with human volunteers. It is only through clinical studies that we will develop and test promising new strategies for treatment, prevention, diagnosis, and ultimately a cure for Alzheimers disease.
Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network Trial: An Opportunity To Prevent Dementia A Study Of Potential Disease Modifying Treatments In Individuals With A Type Of Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Caused By A Genetic Mutation
Sorry, not currently recruiting here
To assess the safety, tolerability, biomarker, cognitive, and clinical efficacy of investigational products in participants with an Alzheimer’s disease-causing mutation by determining if treatment with the study drug improves disease-related biomarkers and slows the rate of progression of cognitive or clinical impairment.
at UCSD
Recommended Reading: Is Alzheimer’s A Multifactorial Disorder
A Dyadic Sleep Health Approach For Persons With Alzheimer’s Disease And Caregivers
Sorry, not yet accepting patients
This is a randomized controlled trial over 5 years, using Stage II of the NIH-defined stage model for behavioral intervention development. We will evaluate the efficacy of the sleep intervention program on sleep, health status measures, and quality of life , and inflammation . Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to in-person Care2Sleep, telehealth Care2Sleep, or to an in-person education control group. The Care2Sleep programs and the control education program will consist of five sessions. The intervention and control programs will begin after baseline assessment and randomization. Posttreatment assessments will be performed immediately after the last session and at 6-month follow-up.
at UCLAUCSD
Salsalate In Patients Mild To Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease
Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients
The purpose of the study is to test the safety and tolerability of twice daily Salsalate in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease. Half of the participants will receive Salsalate and half will receive placebo during the 1-year duration of the study.
at UCSDUCSF
Recommended Reading: Is Early Onset Dementia Hereditary
Care Ecosystem: Navigating Patients And Families Through Stages Of Care Extension Trial
Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients
This is an extension trial of a prior trial . Both persons with dementia and their caregivers were enrolled as dyads. The purpose of this randomized clinical trial is to evaluate the benefits of a program that supports model care for PWD and their caregivers. Whereas the prior trial only delivered care and examined outcomes up to 12-months, this trial extends care and outcome measurement for 5 years or until death, and includes all dyads where the caregiver reported high caregiver burden at pre-randomization baseline for the original trial. Participants were recruited from California, Nebraska and Iowa. Participants determined to be eligible were consented and randomized into one of two groups. Two thirds of dyads were enrolled into Navigated Care that provided them with phone-based assistance in meeting important benchmarks in their care, for example completion of legal and financial planning and strategies for minimizing caregiver burden. One third of dyads were enrolled to a control group, entitled Survey of Care. Outcomes were unchanged from the original trial except for the addition of time to long term care placement and are detailed below.
at UCSF
The National Institute On Aging
The National Institute on Aging is the primary Federal Alzheimers research agency of the National Institute on Health serves as a hub for information on NIA-conducted and -supported research and clinical trials, health information on participating in a clinical trial, and information on finding and joining a clinical trial. Through the clinical trials finder, individuals can search for a trial in their area as well as an Alzheimers Disease Research Center in your state. There are also additional research opportunities specifically for adults and children with Down syndrome through DS-Connect.
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Uci Alzheimers Project Wins $47 Million Grant From National Institute On Aging
Scientists will develop mouse models to help unravel most common form of disease
The UCI research team is directed by Frank LaFerla, Andrea Tenner and Kim Green. Other investigators include Marcelo Wood, Arthur Lander, Grant MacGregor, Ian Smith, Vivek Swarup, Craig Stark, Andre Obenaus and Ali Mortazavi.
Newswise Irvine, Calif., Sept. 21, 2022 What began with a $70,000 philanthropic gift 12 years ago has grown into the recipient of a $47 million National Institute on Aging grant for Alzheimers disease research at the University of California, Irvine. The funds will be parceled out over five years to a UCI team developing the next generation of mouse models for studying late-onset Alzheimers. By inserting human genetic data into the models, researchers can better understand the biology that leads to Alzheimers and set the stage for preclinical drug testing.
This grant and one preceding it for $16 million shows how philanthropic donations can play a crucial role in seeding breakthrough ideas and growing them into research that attracts major extramural funding and yields important scientific discoveries, said Pramod Khargonekar, UCI vice chancellor for research.
UCI houses one of just two U.S. groups working on late-onset Alzheimers mouse models, formally known as MODEL-AD.
NOTE TO EDITORS: PHOTO AVAILABLE AThttps://news.uci.edu/2022/09/21/uci-alzheimers-project-wins-47-million-grant-from-national-institute-on-aging/
Uc Irvine Institute For Memory Impairments And Neurological Disorders
UC Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders is the Universitys center for aging and dementia research, offering overall information on dementia, and specific information on Down Syndrome. and scroll to learn more about their Brain Aging & Dementia Study, Biomarker Study,and support groups. They also offer an educational blog.
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Uc Irvine Receives $5775 Million For Depression Research Treatment
The University of California, Irvine has announced a $57.75 million gift from the estate of Audrey Steele Burnand in support of research into the causes of and treatment for depression.
The bequest will help fund the creation of the Noel Drury M.D. Depression Research Centera campuswide centerand the UCI-managed Steele/Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center. Named after a former Newport Beach psychiatrist, the Drury M.D. Depression Research Center will conduct innovative research in myriad areasfrom biology and the health sciences to engineering, psychological science, and the social sciences. More than $55 million of what is believed to be the largest philanthropic gift to a U.S. university in support of research solely focused on depression is earmarked for advancing depression research at UCI. The remainder will provide perpetual support to the Desert Research Center.
In addition, the universitys research centers for Alzheimers disease and dementia , behavior and learning , and integrative health may benefit from Burnands gift.
This is a truly transformative gift from a longtime and great supporter of our vital work, said UCI chancellor Howard Gillman. Audrey Steele Burnands legacy will enable us to create a world-class research center that builds upon UCIs historical excellence in the neurosciences to make life better for millions of people.