Imaging Tau in Alzheimer's Disease and Normal Aging

November 14, 2018 updated by: William Charles Kreisl
This study is being done to learn about tau tangles in Alzheimer's disease. A type of PET scan is used to measure the abnormal accumulation of protein called tau in the brain. These are thought to be involved in Alzheimer's disease. The investigators will also perform brain MRI and to tests to measure the participant's memory and thinking.

Study Overview

Status

Terminated

Conditions

Detailed Description

This study is being done to determine the relationship between tau tangles and cognitive impairment in elderly subjects with different clinical and biomarker profiles of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Subjects will undergo screen that includes neuropsychological testing and brain MRI. This study uses a special type of scan called a PET scan to take pictures of the brain. During the PET scan, a special radioactive dye called 18F-THK-5351 is injected into the body. 18F-THK-5351 sticks to abnormal tangles made of the protein tau. Subjects will have the option to have lumbar puncture performed to measure CSF concentrations of biomarkers.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

17

Phase

  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10032
        • Columbia University Medical Center

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

Ages Eligible for Study

50 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age 50 and older.
  2. Meet criteria for either a) amnestic mild cognitive impairment (single or mixed domain) or mild Alzheimer's disease, or b) have no cognitive impairment, based on history, exam, neuropsychological testing, and consensus diagnosis. MCI and mild AD patients must have Clinical Dementia Rating scale score of 0.5 or 1. Unimpaired subjects must have Clinical Dementia Rating scale score of 0.
  3. Subjects unable to provide informed consent must have a surrogate decision maker.
  4. Written and oral fluency in English or Spanish.
  5. Able to participate in all scheduled evaluations and to complete all required tests and procedures.
  6. In the opinion of the investigator, the subject must be considered likely to comply with the study protocol and to have a high probability of completing the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Past or present history of certain brain disorders other than MCI or AD.
  2. Certain significant medical conditions, which make study procedures of the current study unsafe. Such serious medical conditions include uncontrolled epilepsy and multiple serious injuries.
  3. Contraindication to MRI scanning.
  4. Conditions precluding entry into the scanners (e.g. morbid obesity, claustrophobia, etc.).
  5. History of kidney disease or presence of impaired kidney function based on laboratory tests at the screening visit.
  6. History of liver disease or presence of impaired liver function based on laboratory tests at the screening visit.
  7. Participation in the last year in a clinical trial for a disease-modifying drug for AD.
  8. Inability to have a catheter in subject's vein for the injection of radioligand.
  9. Inability to have blood drawn from subject's veins.

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: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Cognitive impairment
Adults with Alzheimer's disease, preclinical Alzheimer's disease or impairment due to suspected non-Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology will receive 18F-THK- 5351 and/or lumbar puncture (optional).
Subjects have the option to have lumbar puncture performed for the measurement of Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid.
18F-THK-5351 is a PET radioligand that binds abnormal tangles made of the protein tau. These tau tangles develop in the brain in people with Alzheimer's disease.
Other Names:
  • [18F] THK5351
Active Comparator: No cognitive impairment
Normal aging adults will receive 18F-THK- 5351 and/or lumbar puncture (optional).
Subjects have the option to have lumbar puncture performed for the measurement of Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid.
18F-THK-5351 is a PET radioligand that binds abnormal tangles made of the protein tau. These tau tangles develop in the brain in people with Alzheimer's disease.
Other Names:
  • [18F] THK5351

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
18F-THK-5351 Standardized Uptake Value Ratio
Time Frame: PET image data collected 50 min post-injection to 70 min post-injection of 18F-THK-5351
The standardize uptake value ratio is the concentration of radioactivity measured from the 18F-THK-5351 PET scan in the posterior cingulate gyrus, divided by that in the cerebellar gray matter (the reference region, which is expected to be devoid of tau pathology). This ratio is a relative measure of 18F-THK-5351 binding, and therefore of tau pathology, in brain tissue. PET image data was acquired from 50 min post-injection to 70 min post-injection of 18F-THK-5351.
PET image data collected 50 min post-injection to 70 min post-injection of 18F-THK-5351

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: William C Kreisl, MD, Columbia University

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)

July 1, 2016

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 30, 2017

Study Completion (Actual)

June 30, 2017

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 25, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 25, 2016

First Posted (Estimate)

August 31, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 19, 2018

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 14, 2018

Last Verified

November 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

Undecided

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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.

Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease

Clinical Trials on Lumbar Puncture (optional)

Subscribe