BEAM: Brain-Eye Amyloid Memory Study

Summary

The main objectives for this study are:

1. To investigate novel, non-invasive ocular measurements including optical coherence tomography and eye tracking in a cross-sectional study of participants with various neurodegenerative dementias against standard cognitive assessments and brain imaging measures; and
2. To assess the potential utility of ocular assessments for early detection in the pre-dementia, i.e. the so-called Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) stage, across the common neurodegenerative dementia syndromes and, Vascular Cognitive Impairment (VCI) due to small vessel disease (SVD).
3. To determine the prevalence and relevance of amyloid uptake on PET scanning across the dementias most commonly associated with amyloidosis. Specifically we aim to examine correlations with amyloid uptake status in patients symptomatic from the most common proteinopathies (ie amyloid, tau, synuclein) combined in varying degrees with the most common vasculopathies (ie small vessel disease) using multimodal structural and functional imaging, cognitive behavioral, and gait and balance measures, taking into account genetic risk markers (particularly apolipoprotein E genotypes) and fluid biomarkers ( eg cytokines, oxidative stress, lipidomics).

Conditions

• Alzheimer's Disease
• Mild Cognitive Impairment
• Vascular Cognitive Impairment
• Parkinson's Disease
• Lewy Body Disease

Interventions

OTHER

Pittsburgh Compound B [11C]-PIB

This is a cross-sectional study of patients with various forms of cognitive impairment and a healthy control group for comparison. Brain amyloid PET scans using the radioligand Pittsburgh Compound B \[11C\]-PIB, which is not yet approved for clinical use in Canada, will be performed in all subjects.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Brain Canada

  collaborator OTHER

• Weston Brain Institute

  collaborator OTHER

• GE Healthcare

  collaborator INDUSTRY

• University Health Network, Toronto

  collaborator OTHER

• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

  collaborator OTHER

• Baycrest

  collaborator OTHER

• Unity Health Toronto

  collaborator OTHER

• Kensington Eye Institute

  collaborator OTHER

• Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Sandra Black, MD · Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center

Eligibility

Min Age

50 Years

Max Age

90 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2016-02-29

Primary Completion

2025-03-31

Completion

2025-03-31

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations