Clinical Research Directory

Effects of Transcranial Temporal Interference Stimulation on Cognitive Function in Mild Cognitive Impairment

To explore the effects of transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS) on cognitive function and dual-task walking performance, as well as its underlying neuroimaging mechanisms, in individuals with mild cognitive impairment.

Exercises for Rehabilitation of COgnition and Lifestyle Enhancement in Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a clinical condition with a heterogeneous etiology and clinical course characterized by objective cognitive deficits not severe enough to cause clear functional limitations or to warrant a diagnosis of dementia. Since MCI represents a risk factor for progression to various forms of dementia, timely preventive intervention is essential, although outpatient cognitive rehabilitation for this population is still limited by issues related to service accessibility. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of a multimodal group cognitive rehabilitation intevention designed to be accessible for patients with MCI and sustainable in clinical practice. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the effects of the intervention on cognitive, behavioural, and functional profile of patients with MCI, compared with an active control group. Outcome measures will be collected for all participants at T0 (baseline), T1 (after 12 weeks of intervention), and T2 (3 months after the end of the intervention and approximately 6 months from baseline), in order to assess both short-term and long-term effects of the intervention. The secondary objective is to explore the relationship between changes in outcome measures in the experimental group following the intervention and patients' demographic and clinical characteristics, with the aim of identifying potential predictors of a greater response to the intervention. Treatment accessibility, which guided the study design, will be evaluated though dropout and attendance rates, use of the provided tools and responses to the final satisfaction questionnaire. The experimental group will receive a multimodal cognitive rehabilitation intervention, including (a) a multi-domain cognitive training and (b) a lifestyle intervention, consisting of psychoeducational sessions on neuroprotective factors and supported by the use of a web-based application accessible via computer and tablet. The intervention program will be delivered in small groups, with two 60-minute sessions per week over 12 weeks. The intervention was designed to enhance accessibility and sustainability by limiting intervention intensity and duration, using technology, and delivering group-based rehabilitation in groups that are not highly homogeneous. This approach is expected to result in a better cost-benefit balance and greater transferability to clinical practice. The control group will receive an informational booklet on neuroprotective factors, including practical daily-life recommendations to reduce risk profiles. Forty patients with MCI and their informants will be recruited and randomly assigned to the experimental or control group. Participants in the experimental group will be further divided into small subgroups based on the presence of memory impairment.

Feasibility Study of 'SuperBrain BOOM' for Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a mobile-based personalized physical activity program called SuperBrain BOOM is safe and works to improve cognitive function, physical performance, mood, and quality of life in older adults (ages 50-85) with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The main questions it aims to answer are: Can SuperBrain BOOM be safely and effectively used by people with MCI? Does the program help improve cognitive and physical function? Do participants stay engaged and complete the program as expected? Researchers will compare: A mobile intervention group using SuperBrain BOOM (on tablet or smartphone) A control group receiving usual care Participants will: Use a tablet or smartphone to follow a personalized physical activity program for 12 weeks Complete clinical assessments on cognition, physical ability, mood, and nutrition Be monitored for safety and program adherence using automatically collected data

Designing a Spatial Navigation Intervention Protocol Informed by Region-specific Brain Activation for Mild Cognitive Impairment

The goal of this one-arm clinical trial is to determine whether participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can successfully navigate a virtual reality (VR) maze. The VR maze is designed as a training tool aimed at improving participants' spatial navigation abilities. Main Aims: 1. To determine whether at least 70% of older adults enrolled in the study can complete twenty-four 50-minute training sessions over a 4-month period. 2. To assess whether combining virtual reality with EEG recordings can be used to measure brain activation and changes in brain activation associated with spatial navigation learning. Participants will: 1. Walk in an open, unobstructed space while wearing VR goggles. 2. Explore up to fifty different virtual mazes in sequence and attempt to find their way through each one.

Predicting Pre-dementia

The goal of this observational study is to learn how well a multimodal "Progression and Risk" (PR) model can predict and stage early mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease in cognitively normal or very mildly impaired ApoE4-positive adults aged 55 and older. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can a prespecified proteogenomic PR model accurately predict conversion from cognitively normal (CN) or very mildly impaired status to pTau217-positive MCI Stage I within 24 months in ApoE4-positive adults? Does adding digital monitoring features (e.g., sleep, activity, speech), EMR-lifestyle risk scores, and plasma biomarkers to a polygenic risk score (PRS) meaningfully improve risk stratification and time-to-conversion prediction compared with simpler models (e.g., PRS alone or standard clinical risk factors)? If there is a comparison group: Researchers will compare performance of the full multimodal PR model (integrating PRS, plasma proteomics and other omics, digital monitoring, and EMR-lifestyle data) with simpler or reduced models (for example, PRS-only, biomarker-only, or models without continuous digital monitoring) to see if the full model provides higher discrimination (AUC/ROC), better calibration, and improved time-to-conversion prediction for CN to pTau217-positive MCI transitions. Participants will: Provide prior genomic data (ApoE genotype and whole-genome sequencing or high-density genotyping array data) for calculation of an ancestry- and sex-normalized Alzheimer's disease PRS and assignment to PRS-based risk strata. Attend an in-person baseline visit and follow-up visits at months 6, 12, 18, and 24 (±2 months) for clinical evaluation, neurocognitive testing (including CDR and digital cognitive batteries), and venous or capillary blood collection for plasma pTau217 and other AD biomarkers, proteomic and methylome panels, and routine safety labs when indicated. Use digital devices (e.g., Oura Ring and smartphone-based tools) for continuous or frequent remote monitoring of sleep, activity, heart rate metrics, mobility/location, and speech-linked digital cognitive tasks, with adherence checks at study visits. Undergo optional or sub-cohort procedures as clinically indicated or as resources allow, such as EEG, retinal hyperspectral imaging, MRI, or amyloid PET, and optionally allow clinically indicated lumbar puncture CSF samples and external clinical data to be shared with the study for exploratory biomarker analyses.

Effects of Real vs. Soundless Acoustic Stimulation During Deep Sleep on Brain Activity, Memory, and Blood Biomarkers in Older Adults (60-85) With Mild Memory Impairment

This study aims to explore a non-invasive way to improve memory and slow cognitive decline in older adults by enhancing sleep quality. Dementia, a leading cause of death worldwide, is often associated with disturbed sleep, particularly the loss of deep, slow-wave sleep (SWS). SWS is important for memory and clearing waste from the brain. Poor SWS can worsen memory loss and allow harmful waste to build up, which may increase the risk of dementia. The investigators are testing whether phase-locked auditory stimulation (PLAS) can improve SWS in people at a mild stage of cognitive impairment. PLAS uses short sounds played at specific moments to strengthen slow-wave brain activity during sleep. The investigators previous laboratory based research has shown that this can improve memory and help with clearing waste from the brain. Now, the investigators want to test this in a real-world setting, over a longer period, which is unfeasible in a laboratory setting. In this study, 60 older adults will use home-use devices that deliver either real or sham (soundless) PLAS across two different 4-week periods. Memory will be tested using engaging "serious games." Before and after each experimental period, blood samples will be taken to measure dementia-related markers, and cognitive batteries will be performed. The investigators expect that PLAS will improve sleep, and that this will have a downstream effect on memory and brain clearance, potentially slowing the process of cognitive decline. If successful, this could lead to the development of an affordable treatment that helps people maintain brain health and prevent dementia.

BID WM Digital Intervention in Aging

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if engaging with an digital intervention may improve cognitive function. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does engagement in with a digital intervention improve working memory? 2. Does engagement in with a digital intervention improve inhibitory control? Researchers will compare two different digital interventions to assess whether they may be helpful in improving cognitive function. Participants will conduct study activities remotely (e.g., at-home): 1. Baseline Assessment. Complete a series of cognitive assessments and surveys. 2. Intervention. Engage in a digital intervention for up to 8 weeks. 3. Post Intervention Assessment. Complete the same cognitive assessments and surveys as the Baseline Assessment. 4. Follow-Up Assessment. Six months after the intervention ends, participants will complete the same cognitive assessments and surveys as the Baseline Assessment.

Telehealth-Adapted Compensatory Training and Intervention for Cognition

The goal of this clinical trial is to develop a five-week virtual cognitive training intervention for people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) based off an existing eight-week intervention. The main question it aims to answer is: • Is five weeks of training as good as eight weeks in improving cognition, quality of life, daily functioning, and mood, and in reducing caregiver burden? Researchers will compare five weeks of cognitive training to eight weeks of training to see if the shorter version is as effective as the full training. Participants will complete all activities virtually: * Complete a screening visit with a study partner (typically a family member, roommate, or close friend) to determine eligibility to participate in the study * Complete some tests of memory and thinking and some questionnaires * Attend weekly two-hour group cognitive training sessions with a trained group leader, for five or eight weeks * Redo the questionnaires and tests of memory and thinking immediately after completing the training, and three months after completing the training

Early-Stage Partner in Care Living Alone Plus

EPICLA+ (Early-Stage Partners in Care Living Alone Plus) is a research project designed to assist people with early-stage memory loss who live alone in the community by providing early-stage related education and skill-training sessions, held via Zoom, designed to reduce stress, enhance well-being, manage challenges, and plan for the future. Researchers will gather feedback from individuals about their experience to continue to improve programs for early-stage memory loss.

An Insole and Ankle Device for Monitoring Cognitive Decline in Individuals at Risk for Alzheimer's Disease and/or Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD)

This study tests an innovative system and service for collecting objective, consistent, and in-community gait parameters suitable for use as AD/ADRD biomarkers. The system is designed to be affordable, scalable, and practical for longitudinal, unsupervised, in-community use by older adults, including those with dementia symptoms. This study will be performed in two parts and involves collecting gait data from participants using the leg module and insole device either (1) for several hours in a lab setting (in-lab testing) or (2) within their home and community for 1 week (in-community testing). Thirty people who are healthy, have mild cognitive impairment, or who have Alzheimer's disease or related dementia will be recruited to participate in the in-lab testing, in which they will perform walking tasks and cognitive testing for several hours within a lab environment. After completion of in-lab testing, 120 individuals who are healthy, have mild cognitive impairment, or who have Alzheimer's disease or related dementia will be recruited to participate in the in-community testing, in which they will wear the insole and ankle device within their community for 1-week for collection of gait data in real world settings.

A Study of QLH2405 in Healthy Participants and Participants With Mild Cognitive Impairment Due to Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Alzheimer's Disease

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics (PD) of QLH2405 injection in healthy participants and participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild Alzheimer's disease.

Biomarker-based Trial of NPC-1 for Alzheimer's Pathology

The goal of this early phase, open-label, single arm clinical trial is to determine the 6-month effects and tolerability of NPC1 (parthenolide and ipriflavone) on biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease among adults with objective indicators of seeding AD pathology that also have subjective cognitive concerns, Mild Cognitive Impairment, or Alzheimer's Disease (AD)

AI-Supported Cognitive Rehabilitation for Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is associated with increased risk of progression to dementia, highlighting the need for accessible interventions to support cognitive health. This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of a 12-month artificial intelligence (AI)-supported cognitive rehabilitation program for older adults with MCI. Participants will be recruited from an existing research study conducted within Kaiser Permanente Southern California and randomized 1:1 to either (1) AI-supported cognitive rehabilitation or (2) usual care alone. The intervention combines clinician-delivered telehealth cognitive rehabilitation sessions with daily AI-guided cognitive exercises and education. The primary outcome is change in global cognition at 6 months measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)-BLIND. Secondary outcomes at 6 and 12 months include additional measures of cognition, subjective memory, goal attainment, mood, and loneliness. Exploratory outcomes include engagement with the AI intervention and health-related behavioral outcomes derived from electronic health record data. Participant safety will be monitored throughout the study through adverse event tracking, review of AI interactions for safety concerns, and predefined procedures for responding to psychological or clinical risk. This study will determine whether integrating AI-guided cognitive exercises with clinician-delivered rehabilitation improves cognitive and related outcomes in older adults with MCI compared to usual care.

Global Collaborative Research on Establishing a Korean Cognitive Aging Cohort

The goal of this observational study is to learn how daily emotional stress affects cognitive function and inflammation in community-dwelling older adults aged 60 and older in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does daily psychological stress measured in real-time affect short-term and long-term cognitive function in older adults? Do pro-inflammatory cytokines (such as CRP, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α) mediate the relationship between emotional stress and cognitive decline? How do social support and social isolation influence cognitive function and inflammatory biomarkers over time? Participants will: Complete baseline surveys assessing depression, cognitive function, and personal characteristics Use a smartphone app to answer brief surveys about their emotions, cognitive performance, and social interactions 1-6 times daily for two weeks Wear a Galaxy Watch to track sleep quality, heart rate, and physical activity Provide blood samples for inflammatory biomarker analysis Return for follow-up assessments at 6 months and 1 year This study is part of an international collaboration to establish a Korean cohort comparable to the U.S. Einstein Aging Study, with the aim of developing culturally tailored dementia prevention strategies.

Efficacy of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy Integrated With Stress Reduction Intervention for Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment

The aim of this study is to determine if integrating a culturally congruent indigenous stress reduction intervention into Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) enhances cognitive outcomes in Pakistani adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).

Sensory Integration Training for Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment

This study aims to investigate the effects of sensory integration training on cognitive functions, quality of life, and social participation in older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

Validating the On-line Creyos Cognitive Assessment Platform in Older Adults With Major Depressive Disorder or Mild Cognitive Impairment

The goal of this observational study is to validate the Creyos online cognitive assessment platform in individuals with mild cognitive impairment, or remitted major depressive disorder. The main objectives of this research are: 1. To confirm the feasibility of administering the Creyos cognitive battery to older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment MCI) or Major Depressive Disorder in remission (rMDD). 2. To determine whether the Creyos battery can detect changes in cognition that are predictive of changes on paper-and-pencil neuropsychological testing ("gold standard") over up to five years. Participants will complete both in-person neuropsychological testing yearly as well as the Creyos online battery quarterly for up to 5 years, to allow us to compare performance on these two batteries over time.

Mild Cognitive Impairment Community Screening and Early Intervention Via Stem Cell Therapy and Wearable Brain Computer Interface Device.

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of community-based early detection and targeted interventions, including stem cell therapy and wearable non-invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) devices, for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in adults aged 55 years and older residing in U.S. urban and suburban communities. Primary objectives include assessing improvements in MCI detection rates, cognitive outcomes, and progression delay compared to standard care.

Arlington Longitudinal Optimal Healthy Aging Study (ALOHA)

The Arlington Longitudinal Optimal Healthy Aging (ALOHA) Study is a community-based research project led by the Marymount University Center for Optimal Aging (MCOA). The study is designed to help older adults in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area maintain independence, mobility, wellbeing and brain health as they age. Adults aged 50 years and older will receive a comprehensive health assessment at the study site, Center for Optimal Aging- ALOHA Lab at Marymount University (MU) Ballston Campus in Arlington, Virginia. The assessment includes physical and cognitive testing, health and medical history, lifestyle surveys, and biometric measures such as blood pressure, grip strength, body composition by the InBody system, balance and gait speed. Participants will receive their results in a personalized "Health Passport," which summarizes findings and provides tailored recommendations to help manage modifiable health risk factors-such as those linked to Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, frailty syndrome, and depression. Participants will return annually for up to 5 years to repeat assessments and receive updated health and wellness recommendations. The study will track changes in health over time and explore the impact of the Health Passport on health behaviors, functional independence, and quality of life. ALOHA will also evaluate the cultural appropriateness of the Health Passport for diverse populations in Northern Virginia. The program incorporates an interprofessional research model, engaging researchers from multiple health professions to work alongside older adults, supporting both participants' wellness and optimal aging.

Augmented Reality-Based Aromatherapy Education for Older Adults With Early-Stage Dementia in Taiwan

This study evaluates an augmented reality (AR)-based aromatherapy education program designed for older adults with early-stage dementia in Taiwan. Participants are randomly assigned to either the intervention group, which receives AR-supported aromatherapy education sessions, or a comparison group receiving standard activities. The primary objective is to assess changes in neuropsychiatric symptoms and psychological well-being. Secondary outcomes include cognitive function and quality of life. The study aims to explore the feasibility and potential clinical benefits of integrating digital technology with non-pharmacological dementia care approaches.

e-ALIGN: A Patient Portal-based Intervention to Align Medications With What Matters Most

The overarching goal of this study is to pilot an intervention in which older adults with mild cognitive impairment and dementia and the older adult's care partners are identified in primary care and provided with educational materials through the patient portal to engage the participant in deprescribing. The multicomponent intervention, e-Align, includes delivery of educational information through the patient portal, and a pharmacist-led intervention to align medications with patient and care partner goals and reduce use of central nervous system (CNS) potentially inappropriate medicines (PIM). This work will establish the preliminary data, methods, and partnerships to undertake a multisite embedded pragmatic clinical trial. The resulting triadic-based behavioral intervention will promote patient and care partner engagement, and foster care that aligns with patients' values, and promote improved health and well-being outcomes for people with cognitive impairment and the patient's care partners through deprescribing.

Making Antibody Treatments More Effective in Early Alzheimer's Disease Using 3Tesla Magnetica Resonance

Alzheimer's disease causes progressive memory and cognitive decline, driven in part by the buildup of a protein called β-amyloid in the brain. New antibody therapies - lecanemab and donanemab - can remove amyloid and slow down the disease in its early stages. However, it is still unclear how long each patient should continue treatment or when it is safe to stop, because amyloid is cleared at different rates across individuals. Today, amyloid Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans are used to measure whether amyloid has been removed from the brain, but these scans are expensive, not always available, and expose patients to radiation. Since repeated PET scans are not ideal, doctors need better ways to monitor treatment progress. This study will use advanced brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and blood tests to create personalized prediction models. These models will simulate how amyloid spreads or clears in each person's brain and help identify when treatment is still needed. With this approach, monitoring becomes safer, more efficient, and more affordable - helping ensure that each patient receives the right treatment for the right amount of time. This prospective monocenter study investigates the role of 3Tesla MRI-based predictive modeling in predicting treatment response to anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies (lecanemab or donanemab administered as clinical practice) in 50 patients with early Alzheimer's disease (AD) at IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele (Milan, Italy). Advanced MRI techniques, including high- resolution structural imaging for cortical thickness and volumetric atrophy, diffusion imaging for structural connectivity, and resting-state functional MRI for functional network analysis, will be acquired at baseline, 6, 12, and 18 months. These multimodal MRI measures will be integrated into computational approaches, such as the Aggregation Network Diffusion (AND) model, to simulate individual disease trajectories and predict the probability of achieving negativity at amyloid PET under treatment. While serial \[¹⁸F\]Flutemetamol PET will be performed as part of standard clinical practice to confirm amyloid removal, the focus of the study is on developing MRI- derived predictive biomarkers. The ultimate goal is to establish robust, non-invasive models capable of guiding individualized treatment monitoring and supporting evidence-based decisions on treatment discontinuation Overall, the project aims to support more precise care for people with early Alzheimer's disease, while reducing unnecessary procedures and improving quality of life.

Cognitive-Frailty Gait Biomechanics for Early Dementia Detection

The purpose of this study is to better understand how physical characteristics, walking patterns, and a blood-based brain health marker differ between older adults with dementia and healthy older adults. Dementia is often associated with changes in physical health and movement, but these changes are not fully understood. This study asks whether people with dementia show differences in body composition, walking ability, and levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein involved in brain function, compared with individuals without dementia. To answer this question, participants will complete a single assessment session that includes basic physical measurements, an assessment of walking while moving at a comfortable pace, and a small blood sample collection. The information collected will be used to compare the two groups and explore possible relationships between physical function, walking patterns, and BDNF levels.

Study of Bedroom Environment Sleep Intervention at Home for Older Adults Living Alone With Memory Concerns

This is an eight-week pilot research study designed to test whether simple changes to the bedroom environment along with brief sleep hygiene strategies, can improve sleep in older adults who live alone, have memory concerns, and experience insomnia symptoms. Older adults may be eligible to participate. The intervention will take 8 weeks, which includes 1-2 in-person visits from the research team at the participant's residence (evaluate the bedroom environment, install participant-agreed bedroom changes, deliver target sleep hygiene strategy) and 2 virtual or telephone calls (support environmental and sleep hygiene strategies) over 8 weeks. Sleep and environment data will be collected at screening/baseline, mid-intervention (4-week) and post-intervention (8-week)