The UK- Center brain aging research program is our longest-running research study for individuals with and without memory problems. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to ongoing research in the areas of Alzheimer's disease and normal aging. Read Brain Aging Flyer Here.

One in five persons diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease actually have LATE  (Limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy), formerly known as Hippocampal Sclerosis of Aging. SMArT-HS is a phase IIa study to assess the safety and tolerability of nicorandil (currently commonly used for chest pain) in people who are 75 years or older with memory complaints. Download the flyer.

The APT Webstudy - aptwebstudy.org - is an online memory and thinking research tool aimed at accelerating enrollment into Alzheimer’s clinical trials by identifying and tracking individuals who may be at higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s. Participation in the APT Webstudy involves taking online memory and thinking testing four times per year. You may be eligible to participate if you are age 50 or older and are interested in being part of future Alzheimer’s disease prevention trials.

We are doing this study to see if the new medicine called semaglutide can help people with early Alzheimer’s disease. This will be done by comparing semaglutide against placebo on the effect on cognition and daily functioning. Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disease that with time can cause dementia. The disease develops slowly and affects memory and other brain functions. As the disease gets worse, the person may need help with basic activities in their daily life.

What will this study look at?
This study will look mainly at changes in cognition (memory and other brain functions) and on daily functioning during treatment with semaglutide or placebo.

This is done by:

1. Comparing the tests taken at the start of the study with those taken at end of the study
2. Collecting information about your health, cognition, ability to perform daily activities and general wellbeing
3. Taking different blood samples and measurements during the study to monitor your health.

Conditions for being considered for participating in the study:

• You (may) have early Alzheimer’s disease.
• You are at least 55 years old and not older than 85 years.
• You have a study partner (a next of kin or someone you have a close relationship to), who is willing to take part in the study and share information about you. Your study partner may also accompany you during discussions with the study doctor.

Click here to download the study flyer

The purpose of the AHEAD study is to evaluate whether BAN-2401, a study drug, can help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease dementia among individuals who are cognitively normal and have intermediate or elevated levels of amyloid. Participation in this research study will involve visits every two to four weeks over a four-year period to receive the study drug via infusion. Participants will receive either the study drug or a placebo. You may be eligible to participate if you are ages 55-80, are in good general health, and are able to have an MRI scan.

Click here to download the study flyer

Click here to download the FAQ factsheet

The University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging is a site for the VIVA-MIND clinical trial, designed especially for early AD

The VIVA-MIND trial is designed to determine if the study drug, varoglutamstat, can stabilize or slow memory and thinking problems that increase in early AD.

In early AD, a specific and toxic form of the amyloid protein accumulates in the brain. This toxic protein, called N3pE, appears to damage brain cells and surrounding tissues and activates a strong inflammatory response.

The amyloid protein N3pE is not found in healthy individuals and increases with AD progression. VIVA-MIND researchers suspect that N3pE may play a major role in the decline of memory and thinking skills in early AD.

While many older adults feel as though their memory isn’t as good as it used to be, there are distinct differences between normal cognitive aging and the decline observed in people on the AD trajectory. People with early AD experience a measurable decline in memory, verbal ability, decision-making, and judgment.

Click here for the Viva Mind informational flyer

Assessment of Medication Optimization in Rural Kentucky Appalachian Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment or Dementia
The AMOR-Kentucky study will examine the impact of a pharmacist-physician patient-centered medication therapy management deprescribing intervention to address inappropriate medication use in patients with cognitive impairment in underserved, lower socioeconomic populations in rural Appalachian Kentucky. The results of this study will provide valuable insights on how to expand and implement deprescribing interventions using telemedicine to reduce the prevalence and the associated healthcare costs of medication-related problems in patients with mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and other dementias in rural areas throughout the US. The investigators will assess the potential use of telemedicine in this population by performing an initial single-arm, unblinded study of the medication therapy management (MTM) describing intervention in rural/underserved Kentucky Appalachian populations with cognitive impairment and/or dementia using potentially inappropriate medications (n=50). Following initial recruitment and clinical evaluation, engaged participants will have their medication list reviewed by a pharmacist-clinician team to identify targets for deprescribing intervention. The intervention will be engaged remotely with the participant and their caregiver, and the MTM team at 4 weeks post initial evaluation and then reinforced at a 3-month timepoint. This approach will be carried forward through a telemedicine practice at the University of Kentucky that is comprised of approximately 500 patient-caregiver dyads throughout rural areas of Appalachian Kentucky.

Download the AMOR-KY Flyer

The Sanders-Brown Center on Aging is a partner site for the DIVERSE VCID Study. 
As awareness of dementia increases, it is common for individuals to seek clinical evaluation for cognitive complaints.
Black American and Hispanic/Latinx Americans are at greater risk than White Americans for developing dementia, likely reflecting historical and present-day systemic racism and social inequities that affect brain health.  In fact, social determinants of health strongly contribute to the increased prevalence of vascular brain disease in older adult populations from diverse backgrounds. Neuroimaging studies performed as part of cognitive assessment frequently identify incidental White Matter Hyperintensitites (WMH), usually ascribed to microvascular disease by radiologists, raising patient concerns about their brain health and future risk for dementia.

To date, however, we are not aware of any studies that have comprehensively examined the impact of individual and combined MRI measures of white matter injury on cognitive performance among a diverse, non-demented, stroke-free population with cognitive complaints over an extended period of observation. To study this problem directly, the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has commissioned Diverse VCID, a 6-year study of 2,250 Americans from diverse backgrounds to understand the role that WMH play in developing Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. 

The results of this study will be used to develop and validate a predictive risk model to inform future care for Black Americans and Hispanic/Latinx Americans.

For further information, please see https://diversevcid.ucdavis.edu/join-study

Download Study Flyer

RethinkALZ and RefocusALZ are the names of two new clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease. The Sanders-Brown Center on Aging is a participating site for RefocusALZ. The purpose of these trials is to determine if a new, twice-a-day, oral drug candidate called simufilam is safe and effective in slowing down the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Simufilam is an investigational drug candidate that has not been approved by the FDA, or any regulatory agency, for the treatment of any condition. For further information, please click the attached links.

Refocus Flyer

The SHIMMER study is designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the study drug CT1812 in adults with mild to moderate Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). The purpose of this study is to learn how well you or your loved one tolerate(s) a once-a-day oral dose of CT1812. Qualified participants will be in this study for approximately 8 months.

Download Study Flyer