New brain scan tracks Dementia-Linked tau buildup in rare language disorders
NCT ID NCT02736695
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested a special PET scan tracer (F-18 AV 1451) to see how much tau protein builds up in the brains of 81 people with primary progressive aphasia or frontotemporal dementia. Researchers compared these scans to those of healthy controls to find unique patterns for each disease subtype. The goal was to improve understanding and diagnosis, not to test a treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- F-18 AV 1451 (a radioactive tracer for PET scans)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help doctors better diagnose and distinguish different types of frontotemporal dementia and primary progressive aphasia using brain scans.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase, observational study focused on imaging, not a treatment trial. The tracer may not reliably distinguish all subtypes, and results may not directly improve patient care.
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 1
The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.
- Participants
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81 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jul 2016
- Finished
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Aug 2024
- 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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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * Must be over the age of 18 * Must speak English as your primary language * Must have an informant who can provide independent evaluation of functioning * Must present with a chief complaint of progressive impairment of speech/language or changes in behavior * Must fulfill diagnostic criteria for Primary Progressive Aphasia or Frontotemporal Dementia Exclusion Criteria: * Any subject who is mute or whose speech is unintelligible will be excluded * All subjects with concurrent illnesses that could account for speech and language deficits, such as traumatic brain injury, strokes or developmental syndromes, and subjects meeting criteria for another neurodegenerative disease, such as amnestic Alzheimer's type dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, progressive supranuclear palsy, and corticobasal syndrome will be excluded * All pregnant, post-partum and breast-feeding women will be excluded * Subjects will also be excluded if MRI is contraindicated (metal in head, cardiac pace maker, etc.), if there is severe claustrophobia, if there are conditions that may confound brain imaging studies (e.g. structural abnormalities, including subdural hematoma or intracranial neoplasm), or if they are medically unstable or are on medications that might affect brain structure or metabolism,(e.g. chemotherapy). * Subjects who meet criteria for PPA and have mild behavioral changes, eye movement abnormalities or mild limb apraxia but who do not meet diagnostic criteria for, progressive supranuclear palsy or corticobasal syndrome respectively, will also be excluded. * Subjects will be excluded from the study if they have any of the following genetic conditions which can increase the chance of cancer: Cowden disease, Lynch syndrome, hypogammaglobulinemia, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, and Down's syndrome.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States
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