Imaging of Cognition, Learning, and Memory in Aging
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
This investigation is designed to study how the brain functions when it is performing explicit memory tasks, and furthermore how the brain systems supporting performance on these tests change as a function of aging. Implicit memory tasks may be distinguished from explicit memory tests in that explicit memory characterizes the directed or intentional recollection of previously learned information or events. In contrast, implicit (or nonconscious) memory is expressed in the facilitation of performance on some task or judgment on a stimulus owing to a prior presentation of that stimulus, without any necessary conscious awareness of the prior presentation. The investigators propose to use functional Magnetic resonance Imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity during the performance of carefully designed explicit memory tasks. Comparison of brain activity during the different test conditions will provide information about the brain areas that are involved in mediating specific aspects of performance. Both older and younger individuals will be tested in order to understand age related changes in the brain activity. In order to examine the interactions between participants' differential levels of amyloid burden and their performance on cognitive tasks and fMRI neural activation, the investigators also propose PET imaging of older participants.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
Detailed Description
The basic approach to measuring the brain activity associated with a given cognitive process (or processes) is as follows: It is known that increases in brain neuronal activity are associated with local increases in energy metabolism. Under normal circumstances, increases in brain metabolism lead to local changes in blood oxygenation in venules and larger veins. This change in blood oxygenation can be detected imaging methods which are sensitive to the differences in magnetic state between oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin.
The ultimate benefit of this research is to better understand how changes in both performance and the brain organization underlying that performance are affected by aging.
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Participants aged 60-70 Participants age 60-70 will receive Florbetaben PET tracer to identify presence of amyloid burden. |
Drug: Florbetaben
This is a purely observational study. Results of the Florbetaben PET scan will be correlated with other observations.
Other Names:
|
| Participants aged 20-30 Younger participants will not undergo PET scanning that will be studied with other methods. |
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Cognition as measured with cognitive evaluations [cross sectional]
We will assess the relationship between the presence of amyloid and cognition as measured with standard cognitive and neuropsychological tests
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
-
Aged 20-30 or 60-70
-
Residing near Columbia University Medical Center
-
Must be willing and able to participate
Exclusion Criteria:
-
Have a contraindication to PET (e.g, metallic implants, pacemaker, claustrophobia, or cannot lie flat for one hour)
-
Pregnancy
-
Lactating Women
-
Current, past, or anticipated exposure to radiation
-
Significant active physical illness
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia University Medical Center | New York | New York | United States | 10032 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- Yaakov Stern
- National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Yaakov Stern, PhD, Columbia University
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
- Oh H, Steffener J, Razlighi QR, Habeck C, Liu D, Gazes Y, Janicki S, Stern Y. Aβ-related hyperactivation in frontoparietal control regions in cognitively normal elderly. Neurobiol Aging. 2015 Dec;36(12):3247-3254. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.08.016. Epub 2015 Aug 24.
- Oh H, Steffener J, Razlighi QR, Habeck C, Stern Y. β-Amyloid Deposition Is Associated with Decreased Right Prefrontal Activation during Task Switching among Cognitively Normal Elderly. J Neurosci. 2016 Feb 10;36(6):1962-70. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3266-15.2016.
- AAAB0596
- R01AG026158