Enrolling Studies
- Clinical Trials
- Observational Studies
- Research Procedures
- Research Registry
- Frequently Asked Questions
Every study study has a unique protocol and set of required research procedures to gather the data necessary to answer the research question. For any given study, you may be asked to undergo any or all of the following procedures.
Many research studies require "biomarker" assessments. These important procedures enable researchers to have objective data that provides information about structural and/or biochemical changes in the living brain tissue. To read more about the importance of biomarkers and some of the specific procedures used, visit the NIH National Institute on Aging.
Neuropsychologists use standardized tests to evaluate cognitive abilities such as attention, memory, language, processing speed, visuospatial, and executive functions. These assessments enable neuropsychologists to determine a pattern of relative cognitive strengths and weaknesses, which provides information about the structural and functional integrity of an individual's brain.
Lumbar puncture fact sheet - English (PDF)
Frequently Asked Questions about LP: how to prepare for your LP appointment
Post-LP Aftercare instructions
You will be asked to remove all metal objects from your body before entering the scan room. You will lie down on a cushioned table that will be moved into the magnet after you have been comfortably positioned for scanning. The MR technologist will leave the magnet room but you will be in constant contact with him or her throughout the exam. When the MR scan begins, you will hear a muffled thumping sound, which will last for the duration of the MRI. Other than sound, you should experience no other sensation during scanning. Try to relax during your MRI; it will last approximately 35 minutes.
A member of our ADRC staff will contact you to set up your MRI scan appointment. At that time, they will provide you with specific instructions and address logistical questions or concerns that you may have regarding the scan.
Positron emission tomography (PET) uses a small amount of a radioactive substance, called a tracer, to measure specific brain activity or to detect abnormal accumulations of certain proteins. Different types of PET scans use different tracers. PET is frequently used in dementia research but less frequently in clinical settings.
The UCSD Alzheimer's Disease Research Center currently sends participants to the Radiation Oncology PET/CT center on the UCSD medical campus and to the California Protons Cancer Therapy Center in Miramar for PET scans. The exact procedure site will depend on the study protocol.
The exact steps can vary depending on the protocol and type of scan. Typically, the person having a PET scan receives an injection of a radioactive tracer into a vein in the arm. The tracer looks and feels like cool water upon injection. The person then waits for 50 minutes to allow the tracer to circulate into the brain. When time is up, they are moved by a technician into the scanner, which consists of a cushioned table and a donut shaped machine. The PET scanner takes pictures of the brain for about 20 minutes, revealing regions of normal and abnormal chemical activity. The person having the PET must keep his or her head still for the duration of the scan. A PET scan is much quieter than MRI, and looks like a CT scanner. The entire process, including the injection, waiting time, and scan takes a little over an hour.
If you cannot make it to your scheduled PET scan, please inform the study coordinator at least 24 hours before your assigned check-in time. Each dose of radioactive tracer must be prepared for every participant visit ahead of time. Due to the short, radioactive half-life of the tracers, we cannot recycle or reuse doses at a future time. Please be sure to arrive at your PET scan appointment on time to ensure that the dose of tracer is not wasted.
The amount of radiation exposure during a PET scan is relatively low. However, you may be discouraged from participating in a PET scan study if you have received many x-rays, imaging scans, or radiation therapy (e.g. for cancer treatment) in the past.
Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET scans measure glucose (energy) use in the brain. Studies show that people with dementia often have abnormal patterns of decreased glucose use in specific areas of the brain. An FDG PET scan can show a pattern that may support a diagnosis of a specific cause of dementia.
Amyloid PET scans measure abnormal deposits of a protein called beta-amyloid. Higher levels of beta-amyloid are consistent with the presence of amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
Tau PET scans detect abnormal accumulations of a protein, tau, which forms tangles in nerve cells in Alzheimer's disease and many other dementias.
Amyloid and tau PET scans are used to determine which individuals may be at greatest risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, to identify clinical trial participants, and to assess the impact of experimental drugs designed to affect amyloid or tau pathways.
We currently do not disclose the results of PET scans performed for research, although this may change in the near future. Ask your study coordinator for more information regarding the disclosure guidelines for your specific protocol.
The SMADRC has a Brain Autopsy Program for enrolled research participants. This enables our researchers to corroborate neuropathological findings with clinical data gathered during research participation. We are unable to accept brain donations from persons not enrolled in our studies unless they are pre-consented clinical patients referred by one of our SMADRC neurologists.
To report the passing of an enrolled participant, call to activate the autopsy process.
IF you are an enrolled participant and want to speak with the ADRC autopsy coordinator in anticipation of a participant's passing or for more information about our procedures and processes. You can call the ADRC during regular business hours to speak to a study coordinator.
One donated brain can make a huge impact, potentially providing information for hundreds of research studies to better understand Alzheimer's and dementia. Our team of neuropathologists maintains a state-of-the-art Alzheimer's brain bank with well-characterized cases from our longitudinal study cohort. Many neurodegenerative diseases can only be conclusively made by examining post-mortem brain tissue to identify the characteristic pathological proteins.
Autopsy provides valuable information that can educate and enlighten families, physicians, and researchers, who are working to discover more reliable tests for ADRD. The autopsy results of participants who have been followed over time at our SMADRC are especially valuable because, in conjunction with the substantial treatment and care histories that are collected, researchers can obtain information essential to the search for effective treatments for AD. This research will contribute to our eventual understanding of the chain of events that leads to AD and related dementias.
Brain autopsy information packet (PDF)
Why should you donate your brain to science?
NIH National Institute on Aging - English
Legal and finanacial planning for people with Alzheimer's disease fact sheet (PDF)
UC San Diego School of Medicine Body Donation Program
Obtaining a small sample of a study participant's skin through a skin biopsy has the potential to be transformative in our efforts to develop therapies for Alzheimer's Disease. Through this sample that contains a person's specific genetic code, we are able to test therapies in the lab that have the potential to move us closer towards personalized medicine. We are able to see if a particular treatment or drug is able to effect change in the lab which may reduce the time and expense of testing therapies in large numbers of people in a randomized clinical trial. Skin biopsies are obtained in several research protocols using a standardized outpatient procedure. Skin cells can be used to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Click here for care instructions following skin biopsy procedure.
If you are interested in any of our current studies or you'd like to participate in a study but don't currently see one that is a match for you, join our research registry to be placed on a list for future studies.
For more information contact:
Phone: 858-822-4800