Brain scan study seeks clues to memory decline in older adults
NCT ID NCT03860857
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at why some people's thinking and memory get worse as they get older. Researchers will use brain scans and memory tests in 300 healthy adults aged 60 and older to find early signs of Alzheimer's disease. The goal is to better understand how the brain changes over time, not to test a treatment.
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.
- Phase
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Phase 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
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About 300 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2018
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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.
- Ages
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60 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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. Aged 60 or older; 2. Speaks fluent English or Spanish; 3. Visual and auditory acuity adequate for neuropsychological and computerized testing; 4. Good general health with no disease(s) expected to interfere with the study; 5. Willing and able to participate for the duration of the study and in all study procedures including MRI and PET; 6. Normal cognition defined as a Clinical Dementia Rating of 0 and a Mini-Mental State Examination score of 25 or higher. FAST Stage 1 or 2. 7. Subjective memory or other cognitive complaints will be included. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Significant co-morbid neurologic disease such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, brain cyst, tumor or aneurysm; 2. Major health conditions, except for Type II diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension, which are NOT exclusionary for this study given their high prevalence in our target populations; 3. Significant psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, except for depression and anxiety, which are NOT exclusionary for this study given their high prevalence in our target populations; 4. Existing diagnosis of dementia or mild cognitive impairment; 5. Alcohol or substance abuse or dependence within the past 2 years (DSM-IV criteria); 6. MRI contraindications, e.g. pacemakers, aneurysm clips, artificial heart valves, ear implants, metal fragments or foreign objects in the eyes, skin or body. Females who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant are also excluded; 7. PET contraindications, e.g. significant prior radiation exposure and pregnancy.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of California, Irvine
RECRUITINGIrvine, California, 92697, United States
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