Biomarker Exploration in Aging, Cognition and Neurodegeneration

The purpose of this research study is to understand the factors that underlie changes in thinking and memory with increasing age. The investigators will test the usefulness of MRI, PET, and cognitive testing in detecting subtle changes in the brain that precede cognitive decline. An addendum to this study includes additional PET scans to examine the relationship between tau protein in the brain and cognitive decline. Tau is a protein that is known to form tangles in the areas of the brain important for memory, and these tau tangles are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. This sub-study research aims to look at the tau accumulation in the brain using an investigational drug called MK-6240, which is a radio tracer that gets injected prior to a positron emission tomography (PET) scan.

NCT Number	NCT03860857
Lead Sponsor	University of California, Irvine Collaborators: National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Conditions	Alzheimer Disease, Cognitive Impairment, Cognitive Decline
Enrollment	300 participants
Start Date	2018-05-01
Primary Completion	2026-12-22 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-12-22 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-01-23