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A stumble before memory slips? study tests if falls predict Alzheimer's

NCT ID NCT04949529

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Washington University School of Medicine Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 22, 2026 · Last updated Jul 23, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study looks at whether falls and mobility problems can signal very early, preclinical Alzheimer's disease in older adults who are still cognitively normal. Researchers will follow 355 volunteers aged 65 and older, some with and some without biological signs of Alzheimer's, tracking falls monthly for up to two years. The goal is to understand if changes in balance and walking occur before memory loss begins.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to
If falls prove to be an early warning sign, this could lead to a simple way to identify people at risk for Alzheimer's disease years before memory problems appear.
What could go wrong
This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It can only show a link, not cause and effect. The results may not apply to everyone.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

355 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Mar 2019

Finished

Apr 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

A cohort of cognitively normal community-dwelling older adults who are currently undergoing comprehensive clinical, neuropsychological, and biomarker evaluations at the Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (Knight ADRC) at Washington University in St. Louis.

Ages

65 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. 65 years of age or older 2. cognitively normal (Clinical Dementia Rating \[CDR\] score of 0) * A pilot sub-study collecting stool will also enroll a few individuals with CDR\>0 for comparison. 3. have biomarkers (CSF), and/or neuroimaging (positron emission tomography \[PET\] and/or magnetic resonance imaging \[MRI\]) within 2 years of enrolling in this study. Exclusion Criteria: * History of Parkinson's disease.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Alzheimer disease

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Alzheimer disease FALL

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Washington University School of Medicine

    St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States

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