Greater-Bay-Area Healthy Aging Brain Study (GHABS) (GHABS)

Greater-Bay-Area Healthy Aging Brain Study (GHABS): Biomarker- and Neuroimaging-based Study of the Pathophysiology Characterization and Evolutionary Patterns of Alzheimer's Disease

The goal of this observational study is to learn about the pathophysiology characterization and evolutionary patterns of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in South China older adults. The primary purposes are as follows:

1. The prevalence and characteristics of AD in South China's aging population
2. Identify novel biomarkers and neuroimaging techniques for early detection and intervention of AD
3. Supporting and fertilizing novel approaches and techniques for early diagnosis and intervention of AD Participants will undergo cognitive assessments, blood sample collection, and genetic testing. Some will undergo CSF collection, stool sample collection, MRI scanning, Aβ PET scanning, and tau PET scanning.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Alzheimer's Disease
• Intervention / Treatment: Diagnostic test: Fluids biomarker and neuroimaging of AD diagnosis

Detailed Description

The Greater-Bay-Area Healthy Aging Brain Study (GHABS), a community-based longitudinal cohort study, aimed to characterize of Alzheimer's disease in South China's Aging Population, was launched in May 2021 in Shenzhen. The GHABS project was approved by the Shenzhen Bay Laboratory's and the collaborated hospitals' Ethical Committees. Each participant signed the written informed consent of the GHABS project before enrollment. The participants who met the inclusion and exclusion requirements were informed about the baseline and follow-up examinations. From 2021 to 2026, the GHABS cohort will recruit 1400 individuals aged 55 and older, including 1100 CU older adults, 200 MCI patients, and 100 dementia patients.

All the GHABS participants will undergo cognitive assessments, genetic screening, and blood sample collection. Some will have CSF collection, stool sample collection, MRI scanning, Aβ PET scanning, and tau PET scanning. All baseline examinations will be completed within three months. At follow-up, clinical assessments and blood sample collection will be conducted annually. CSF sample collection, MRI scan, Aβ PET scan, and tau PET scan are evaluated every two years.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 1400

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Mengyi Ge, Ph.D.; Phone Number: +8618665351340; Email: gemy@szbl.ac.cn
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Zhen Liu, Ph.D.; Phone Number: +8617685736893; Email: liuzhen@szbl.ac.cn

Study Locations

• China
  • Other
    • Shenzhen, Other, China, 518000
      • Recruiting
      • Shenzhen Bay Laboratory
      • Contact: Tengfei Guo, Ph.D.; Phone Number: +86-0755-26849264; Email: tengfei.guo@szbl.ac.cn

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

The GHABS cohort will recruit 1400 individuals aged 55 and older, including cognitively unimpaired older adults, subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• This project intends to recruit men and women between the ages of 55 and 90. The inclusion criteria are as listed:
• Age 55-90 years old (including 55 and 90 years old). However, people with autosomal dominant and other familial Alzheimer disease (FAD) are not limited by age.
• The score of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) is less than 6 points.
• There is a caregiver who can maintain at least 10 hours of contact per week and can accompany volunteers to the test site for testing.
• Visual and auditory acuity is sufficient for neuropsychological testing. (Including normal corrected vision and hearing)
• Be in good health and are expected to be free of disease interference during the study.
• Volunteers are not pregnant, lactating or have reproductive potential (that is, women must be two years after menopause or undergo sterilization surgery).
• Willingness and ability to participate in longitudinal imaging studies.
• A modified version of the Hachinski Ischemic scores less than or equal to 4.
• Have completed grade 6 education or have good work experience (sufficient to rule out mental retardation).
• Must be able to speak Mandarin fluently.
• Willing to undergo multiple 3T MRI scans and at least two PET scans.
• Agree to collect blood for genomic analysis (including GWAS sequencing and other analyses), AD risk and protective genes such as apolipoprotein E (APOE), klotho, etc., and biological sample storage.
• Agree to collect blood for biomarker detection.
• Agree to share genomic data and biomarker samples.

Exclusion Criteria:

• MRI brain scan screening reveals infection, infarction or other focal lesions or multiple lacunes or lacunes in key memory structures.
• Any volunteers who do not meet the MRI scan requirements, including having a cardiac pacemaker, eyes, skin or metal fragments or foreign bodies in the body.
• Severe depression, bipolar affective disorder described in DSM-IV in the past year.
• Psychotic features, agitation or behavioral problems that may lead to difficulty complying with the protocol content in the past 3 months.
• Currently using medication to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder or attention deficit disorder.
• History of schizophrenia (meeting DSM-IV criteria).
• History of alcohol or drug abuse or dependence within the past 2 years (metting DSM-IV criteria).
• Any major systemic disease or unstable physical condition that may make longitudinal research difficult.
• Clinically significant abnormalities of B12 or TFTs may interfere with the study, low B12 will be excluded.
• Currently using certain psychoactive medications (e.g., certain antidepressants, neuro-depressants, chronic anxiolytics, or sedative-hypnotics). Currently using warfarin or other anticoagulants such as dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban (except lumbar puncture).
• Use of prohibited drugs.
• Simultaneously participating in other clinical studies involving neuropsychiatry.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Longitudinal changes of cognitive function _ ADAS-Cog	Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale - Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog)	An average of 1 year
Longitudinal changes of cognitive function _ MMSE, the Chinese version	Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE, the Chinese version)	An average of 1 year
Longitudinal changes of cognitive function _ MoCA-Basic	Montreal Cognitive Assessment Basic (MoCA-Basic)	An average of 1 year
Longitudinal functional and behavioral function _ CDR	Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR)	An average of 1 year
Longitudinal functional and behavioral function _ NPI	Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI)	An average of 1 year
Longitudinal functional and behavioral function _ GDS	Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)	An average of 1 year
Longitudinal functional and behavioral function _ FAQ	Function Activities Questionnaire (FAQ)	An average of 1 year
Longitudinal functional and behavioral function _ ADL	Activity of Daily Living Scale (ADL)	An average of 1 year
Longitudinal functional and behavioral function _ PSQI	Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI)	An average of 1 year
Longitudinal functional and behavioral function _ RBDSQ	REM sleep behavior disorder screening questionnaire (RBDSQ)	An average of 1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Longitudinal changes of plasma biomarkers	Longitudinal changes of disease status as categorized by plasma biomarkers of Alzheimer's diseases over time.	An average of 1 year
Longitudinal changes of CSF biomarkers	Longitudinal changes of disease status as categorized by CSF biomarkers of Alzheimer's diseases over time.	An average of 2 years
Longitudinal changes in neuroimaging _ MRI images	Longitudinal change in brain structure using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)	An average of 2 years
Longitudinal changes in neuroimaging _ amyloid PET images	Longitudinal changes in amyloid deposition	An average of 2 years
Longitudinal changes in neuroimaging _ tau PET images	Longitudinal changes in tau deposition	An average of 2 years

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Correlation of microbiome to Alzheimer's Disease	Correlation of microbiome to Alzheimer's Disease via relative abundance found in gut microbiome study. These data will then be correlated to Alzheimer's disease state	1 time sampling

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Shenzhen Bay Laboratory
• Collaborators: National Natural Science Foundation of China; Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Science Foundation; Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Tengfei Guo, Ph.D., Shenzhen Bay Laboratory

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 1, 2021
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 22, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 13, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): December 27, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 14, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 13, 2025
• Last Verified: May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Dementia; Tauopathies; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Alzheimer Disease
• Other Study ID Numbers: YL2023-001

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: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No