Clinical Trials and Research

There are two types of research studies at the Memory and Aging Center (MAC):

• Observational studies
• Treatment trials (also known as "clinical trials")

What are Observational Studies?
In observational studies, researchers study specific areas or topics related to a particular disease or symptom. No medications or treatment are given. Instead, participants are interviewed, observed or complete questionnaires. The information helps doctors understand diseases better and make more accurate diagnoses.

The MAC conducts several observational studies on how certain causes of dementia affect the brain. Depending on the study, individuals may enroll in several studies simultaneously. In some studies at the MAC, data from healthy volunteers is compared to data from patients.

What are Clinical Trials?
Clinical trials study the safety and effectiveness of new treatments such as drugs or medical devices. Research staff must follow protocols and rules set by the federal government. The rules ensure that clinical trial participants are treated as safely as possible.

The MAC conducts several clinical trials studying new drugs for Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, Huntington's disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Observational Studies

Chinese Population

• Understanding Dementia in Chinese Individuals

Alzheimer's Disease (AD)

• Attention/Executive Function
• Domain Specific Tasks of Executive Function
• Eye Movement Control in Normal Adults and Adults with Neurologic Disease
• Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Images and Emotions
• Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Autonomic Physiology in Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD)
• Measurement of Alzheimer's Disease Progression with Established Imaging and Biological Markers
• New Approaches to Dementia Heterogeneity

Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD)

• Eye Movement Control in Normal Adults and Adults with Neurologic Disease
• Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Images and Emotions
• Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Autonomic Physiology in Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD)
• New Approaches to Dementia Heterogeneity

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)

• New Approaches to Dementia Heterogeneity
• New Clinical Approaches to the Assessment of Rapidly Progressive Dementias and Neurologic Conditions

Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) and Semantic Dementia (SD)

• Attention/Executive Function
• Domain Specific Tasks of Executive Function
• Eye Movement Control in Normal Adults and Adults with Neurologic Disease
• Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Images and Emotions
• Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Autonomic Physiology in Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD)
• New Approaches to Dementia Heterogeneity

Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

• Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Images and Emotions
• Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Autonomic Physiology in Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD)

Huntington's Disease (HD)

• Domain Specific Tasks of Executive Function
• Eye Movement Control in Normal Adults and Adults with Neurologic Disease
• Neurobiological Predicators of Huntington's Disease
• Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS)

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

• Attention/Executive Function
• Domain Specific Tasks of Executive Function
• Executive MCI, Amnestic MCI and Normals
• New Approaches to Dementia Heterogeneity

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)

• Domain Specific Tasks of Executive Function
• Eye Movement Control in Normal Adults and Adults with Neurologic Disease
• Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Images and Emotions
• Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Autonomic Physiology in Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD)
• New Approaches to Dementia Heterogeneity

Rapidly Progressive Dementias

• New Approaches to Dementia Heterogeneity
• New Clinical Approaches to the Assessment of Rapidly Progressive Dementias and Neurologic Conditions

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies

• New Approaches to Dementia Heterogeneity
• New Clinical Approaches to the Assessment of Rapidly Progressive Dementias and Neurologic Conditions

Vascular Dementia (VaD)

• Aging Brain - Vasculature, Ischemia and Behavior

Healthy Adults

• Attention/Executive Function
• Eye Movement Control in Normal Adults and Adults with Neurologic Disease
• Executive MCI, Amnestic MCI and Normals
• Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Images and Emotions
• Hillblom Aging Network
• New Approaches to Dementia Heterogeneity

Back to Top

Treatment Studies (or “Clinical Trials”)

Alzheimer's Disease (AD)

• A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of PF-04494700 (TTP488) in Subjects with Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease
• A Phase III, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study to Determine Efficacy and Safety of Bapineuzumab (AAB-001) in Subjects with Alzheimer's Disease
• A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Safety and Efficacy Study of Oral ELND005 in Alzheimer's Disease
• A Third-Party Unblinded, Adjuvant-Controlled Study to Determine Safety and Tolerability of ACC-001 in Subjects with Alzheimer's Disease

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)

• CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease) Quinacrine Study

Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) or Semantic Dementia (SD)

• Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Memantine (10mg BID) for Frontotemporal Dementia and Semantic Dementia

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

• Impact of Donepezil Treatment on Memory and Attention in Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Back to Top