Clinical Trial: Early-onset Alzheimer's Disease Phenotypes: Neuropsychology and Neural Networks

Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Recruiting
Study Type: Observational

Official Title: Early-onset Alzheimer's Disease Phenotypes: Neuropsychology and Neural Networks

Brief Summary: This study attempts to identify two types of AD by using clinical and cognitive tasks and brain imaging. The subtypes of AD are separated into a "typical" group (memory loss) and a "variant" group (language, visuospatial, and other cognitive difficulties). Performance on the clinical tasks and brain imaging will be compared among the young-onset Alzheimer's disease group, a late-onset Alzheimer's disease group, and a control group.

Detailed Summary:

Unlike the usual late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), early-onset AD (EOAD), with onset before age 65, includes a high percentage of phenotypic variants. These non-familial, variants (vEOAD) present, not with progressive memory loss, but with language, visuospatial, or other cognitive difficulties. AD is now understood as a disorder that manifests with disturbed cognition reflecting disturbed neural networks. A multivariate analysis of neuropsychological tests, the "gold standard" for objectively defining neurocognitive impairments, coupled with structural and functional neuroimaging analysis of connectomes, can identify the neurocognitive-neural network profiles of vEOAD patients, compared to those with typical AD. This knowledge can increase our understanding of the heterogeneity of AD and how it causes disease.

This study hopes to show that vEOAD constitutes a "Type 2 AD", by (1) defining the neuropsychological components of Type 2 AD, and (2) understanding the anatomy and atrophy of the brains of vEOAD patients. Together, these components can outline the neurocognitive-neural network profile of Type 2 AD.

In addition to information that can help in the diagnosis and management of EOAD, this study can stimulate novel research into the reasons for this neurobiological heterogeneity in AD and could potentially lead to interventions based on alternate neurocognitive-neural network profiles.


Sponsor: University of California, Los Angeles

Current Primary Outcome: Alzheimer's disease Subtype [ Time Frame: Performed at baseline ]

Neuropsychological testing results for use in a two-stage multivariate diagnostic method that combines the (weighted) test results in order to best discriminate Type 2 AD and typical AD.


Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome:

  • Change in overall Neurological profile [ Time Frame: Performed at baseline and 1-year follow-up visit ]
    Change in performance on neurological tasks between baseline visit and follow-up visit.
  • Brain atrophy in MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the brain [ Time Frame: Performed at baseline visit ]
    Images from initial MRI scan taken at baseline visit will be analyzed for atrophy and white matter tract integrity
  • Change in overall Neuropsychological profile [ Time Frame: Performed at baseline and 1-year follow-up visit ]
    Change in neuropsychological performance over time.


Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: University of California, Los Angeles

Dates:
Date Received: April 27, 2017
Date Started: April 4, 2016
Date Completion: March 31, 2022
Last Updated: May 11, 2017
Last Verified: May 2017