Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia. Currently, the cause is unknown, and there is no cure for this devastating disease. It is progressive and irreversible; the effects impact a patient's memory, thinking skills, and ability to carry out simple tasks.
HMRI’s passionate team of researchers has been committed to solving the puzzle of Alzheimer’s disease for over two decades. Through longitudinal studies, they investigate biomarkers for early detection, changes in cognition, and comorbidities associated with neurodegeneration and brain aging.
Today, renowned epidemiologist Astrid Suchy-Dicey, PhD, leads HMRI’s formalized Brain Aging Study. Her research on Alzheimer’s disease focuses on enhancing methodology for analyzing and interpreting data related to imaging, biomarkers, cognitive testing, and social determinants, and she is dedicated to unraveling health disparities in neurodegenerative diseases. As HMRI’s research on Alzheimer’s disease continues to advance, the future of the Brain Aging Study includes the expansion of recruitment to reflect the population of Pasadena and surrounding communities, including more representation of Hispanic-Latino, African-American, Asian, and other racial/ethnic groups.
The early stages of Alzheimer’s disease are difficult to identify. HMRI’s Brain Aging Study helps scientists better understand the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease to develop effective treatments while patients can still function independently. This study aims to provide insights into Alzheimer’s disease pathophysiology and mechanisms of brain aging, and to discover pre-symptomatic biomarkers that characterize early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Study investigators, therefore, focus the study on recruiting individuals who are still cognitively healthy or in the early stages of the disease. They then follow participants longitudinally to observe changes in cognition, imaging, and other biomarkers as they age.
HMRI’s Brain Aging Study currently examines six core areas: Urine and plasma lipid biomarkers; cognitive function and network biomarkers using electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS); stroke neuroprotection; stroke model; and retinal scan biomarkers.
Help uncover the causes of Alzheimer’s disease and pioneer early detection tests.
You can potentially volunteer if you are at least 60 years old, live in Pasadena or the surrounding areas, and are cognitively healthy. You will be interviewed about your medical history and asked to undergo voluntary, non-invasive and minimally invasive tests. These may include physical exam, cognitive testing, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), lumbar puncture, blood draw, electroencephalography (EEG), retinal scan, and other examinations related to brain aging.
You’ll make three to five visits, each about one to four hours long, over the course of three months – all our facility in Pasadena, California. These visits will be repeated every two years. You’ll be compensated for your time.
Interested? Please contact HMRI Brain Aging Study at brainaging@hmri.org or call 626.389.3421. Click the button below to learn more and get started today.
