Molecular Neuroimaging of Neuroinflammation in Neurodegenerative Dementias

March 4, 2025 updated by: London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's
Neuroinflammation is increasingly implicated as a potential critical pathogenic mechanism in a variety of neurologic and psychiatric disorders. This study will use hybrid PET/MRI imaging to evaluate neuroinflammation and its relationship to cerebral perfusion in frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Patients with FTD will be recruited from the Cognitive Neurology and Aging Brain clinics at Parkwood Institute and will undergo neurocognitive assessment and MRI/PET using the PET ligand FEPPA which binds to activated microglia, a marker of neuroinflammation. Correlations will be conducted to determine whether abnormal neuroinflammation is present in Frontotemporal dementia and whether differential patterns of neuroinflammation are present in different FTD clinical and molecular subtypes, and to determine the relationship between neuroinflammation, cerebral perfusion using arterial spin labeling MRI imaging techniques, and indices of brain structure including volumetric and white matter analysis.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
40

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Ontario
      • London, Ontario, Canada, N6C 0A7
        • Recruiting
        • Parkwood Institute
        • Contact:
          • S Jesso, BA
          • Phone Number: 519-646-6000

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

30 years to 95 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Patients diagnosed with a probable Frontotemporal Dementia or neurologically healthy control participants with no history of neurological problems
  2. Study partner is available who has frequent contact with the subject and can accompany the subject to all clinic visits for the duration of the protocol.
  3. Visual and auditory acuity adequate for neuropsychological testing
  4. Good general health with no diseases expected to interfere with the study.
  5. Subject is not pregnant, lactating, or of childbearing potential (i.e. women must be two years post-menopausal, surgically sterile or practicing an effective form of family planning
  6. Willing to participate in a longitudinal imaging study at 12 months.
  7. Willing to undergo MRI (3Tesla)/ PET scan (with FEPPA ligand) and no medical contraindications to MRI.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Any significant neurologic disease other than suspected Frontotemporal Dementia that would better account for symptoms (i.e. frontal lobe stroke).
  2. Screening/baseline MRI scans with evidence of infection, infarction, or other focal lesions. Subjects with multiple lacunes are excluded.
  3. Presence of pacemakers, aneurysm clips, artificial heart valves, ear implants, metal fragments or foreign objects in the eyes, skin or body that may preclude MRI participation as per MRI screening form.
  4. Major depression, bipolar disorder as described in DSM-IV within the past 1 year. Psychotic features, agitation or behavioral problems within the last 3 months which could lead to difficulty complying with the protocol.
  5. History of schizophrenia (DSM IV criteria).
  6. Any significant systemic illness or unstable medical condition which could lead to difficulty complying with the protocol.
  7. Clinically significant abnormalities in B12, or thyroid function tests that might interfere with the study.
  8. Investigational agents are prohibited one month prior to entry and for the duration of the trial.
  9. Exclusion for FEPPA: Current or recent participation in any procedures involving radioactive agents such that the total radiation dose exposure to the subject in any given year would exceed the limits of annual and total dose commitment set forth. The current regulation for radiation dose to patient volunteers and health control volunteers are contained within Health Canada's recently amended (June 19, 2012) Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations (Positron-emitting Radiopharmaceuticals). Limitations for effective total body dose is 50 mSv (C.03.305 (c)) which has been increased from the previous values of 20 mSv (Table 1 in INFO-0491).
  10. Exclusion Criteria for controls undergoing arterial line placement: Absent pulse, Thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger disease), Burns over the cannulation site, Inadequate circulation to the extremity, Raynaud syndrome, Anticoagulation therapy, Atherosclerosis of upper extremity vessels, Coagulopathy, inadequate collateral flow, Infection at the cannulation site, Previous surgery in the area, Synthetic vascular graft.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: (18F)-FEPPA
Radiation: (18F)-FEPPA
PET ligand that binds to activated microglia, a marker of neuroinflammation

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Group differences in regional PET FEPPA ligand imaging
Time Frame: 120 Minutes
120 Minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Correlation between PET FEPPA ligand images and specified MR images
Time Frame: 120 Minutes
120 Minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 1, 2016

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 1, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 25, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 25, 2016

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 26, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 25, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 4, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 107561

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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