Clinical Research Directory

Predict Early Cognitive Changes in a Healthy Elderly Population by Passively Recording Sensor Data From Mobile Devices

The study will recruit 100 participants aged 65+ residing in assisted living facilities. Eligible participants will undergo an initial cognitive assessment to document their baseline cognitive status using cognitive tests conducted either in their assisted living facility or at Soroka Medical Center. An app designed for research data collection (Aware-Light) will be installed on participants' mobile devices, collecting data only after participants provide consent. Over three months, the app will automatically gather sensor data, including movement data from the accelerometer, orientation data from the gravity sensor, rotation data from the gyroscope, proximity data for measuring distance from nearby objects, ambient light levels from the light sensor, and typing dynamics such as typing frequency and duration without recording actual text. The app will also track app usage, including activation, pauses, closures, background activity, notifications, and crashes, as well as air pressure through the barometer, phone capabilities through the telephony detector, and screen states such as on, locked, or off. It will log communication events such as calls and messages without recording personal details, monitor vehicle speed through the linear accelerometer, track rotation angles through the rotation detector, and identify significant movements like walking, cycling, or traveling. No typed data, such as passwords, will be collected. After one month, the research team will contact participants to ensure the app functions correctly. After three months, participants will undergo a second cognitive assessment, and the app will be uninstalled.

Fasudil Trial for Treatment of Early Alzheimer's Disease (FEAD)

The goal of this placebo-controlled double-blind Phase 2 clinical trial is to test in people with early Alzheimer's Disease. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does treatment with fasudil, a ROCK-inhibitor, lead to significant improvement in working memory (based on computer-based working memory composite scores) compared to placebo in individuals with early Alzheimer's disease (AD) over 12 months? * What is the effect of fasudil treatment for 12 months on other cognitive functions, brain metabolism measured by Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET), and other relevant clinical functions and biomarkers in individuals with early Alzheimer's disease (AD)? * Treatment will be escalated to a maintenance dose of 120 mg total daily dose for up to 50 weeks, with regular clinic visits for efficacy and safety evaluations. * Assessments will include cognitive tests, FDG-PET scans, and biomarker analyses, with follow-up by the Data and Safety Monitoring Board for ongoing safety review. The study will compare participants receiving fasudil with those receiving placebo to see if fasudil treatment leads to improvements in cognitive functions, brain metabolism measured by FDG-PET.

Cognition, Flavonoids, Exercise, Gut Microbiome

This NIH project will examine the effects of routine flavonoid-rich blueberry intake (12-weeks), combined with or in the absence of regular moderate exercise, on cognitive function in a clinical population of older participants identified as experiencing age-related cognitive changes. This project's hypothesis is that the combination of flavonoid-rich diet and routine physical activity may potentiate cognitive benefits and reduce cognitive decline in an aging population, via mechanisms mediated by the gut microbiome.