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CompletedNCT01730430Updated Apr 22, 2014

Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Biomarkers Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Non-AD Dementias

An observational study in Alzheimer's Disease and Dementias, sponsored by Duke University. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 55 Years to 85 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2014-04-22.

Sponsored by Duke University · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Case-control
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrollment
40
Ages
55 Years to 85 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

To establish a cutoff value using a ratio of CSF tau to Aβ42 (tau/Aβ42) for distinguishing patients wth mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) from health elderly control subjects. The investigators hypothesize that a cutoff can be found that has at least 80% sensitivity and 60% specificity.

Read the detailed description

This study will enroll 50 AD subjects, 50 normal controls and approximately 20 subjects with non-AD dementia. There will be 2 visits (up to 30 days apart), and a telephone follow-up visit.

This protocol does not include treatment of subjects. Lumbar puncture and phlebotomy are routine clinical tasks and are associated with a low level of risk. All adverse events will be documented and reviewed by the PI.

02

Conditions studied

  • Alzheimer's Disease
  • Dementias

Keywords

  • non-AD dementias
  • healthy elderly controls
03

In context

Alzheimer Disease

3,675 studies on the registry are indexed under Alzheimer Disease; 869 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 40 is below the median of 200 across 751 observational studies indexed under Alzheimer Disease.

Browse Alzheimer Disease studies →

Lead sponsor

Duke University is the lead sponsor of 2,025 studies on the registry; 275 are open to participants now.

Of its 194 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 159 (82%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
55 Years to 85 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Duke Memory Disorders Clinic

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Each subject must be ≥ 55 to ≤ 85 years of age.
  • Each subject must be able to read at a 6th grade level, as determined by the investigator, and must have a history of academic achievement and/or employment sufficient to exclude mental retardation.
  • Each subject must have results of clinical laboratory tests, a physical examination, vital signs within normal limits or clinically acceptable to the investigator within 28 days prior to enrollment.
  • Each subject (or legal representative) must sign the informed consent form after the scope and nature of the investigation have been explained to them, and before screening assessments.

Additional Inclusion Criteria for Normal Controls:

  • Must have a global Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) score of 0.
  • Must have a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≥ 28.
  • Must have a Z-score ≥ -1.0 in each cognitive domain of memory (including delayed recall), language, executive function and attention, and visuoconstruction with neuropsychological tests of choice and adjustment for age, gender, and education level if indicated.

Additional Inclusion Criteria for AD Subjects:

  • Must meet the criteria for a diagnosis of probable AD based on both

    1. the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Diseases and Stroke/Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDS-ADRDA) criteria, and
    2. the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM IV TR) criteria for AD.
  • Must have an MMSE score ≥ 15 and ≤ 26.
  • Must have a clear history of cognitive and functional decline over at least one year that is either

    1. documented in medical records or
    2. documented by history from an informant who knows the subject well.
  • Must have an MRI or CT scan that is consistent with a diagnosis of AD within 12 months prior to enrollment.

Exclusion Criteria for AD Subjects and Normal Controls

  • The subject has a Rosen modified Hachinski Ischemia Score > 4.
  • The subject has a known history of stroke.
  • The subject has evidence of a clinically relevant or unstable neurological or psychiatric disorder (for AD subjects - other than AD).
  • The subject has a history of alcoholism or drug dependency/abuse within the last 5 years before enrollment.
  • The subject has an ongoing uncontrolled, clinically significant medical condition such that, in the judgment of the investigator, a subject's participation in the trial would pose a significant medical risk to the subject.
  • The subject has participated within the last two months in a clinical trial of a novel therapeutic agent (e.g. bapineuzumab) or has ever been in a clinical trial of an AD vaccine.
  • Pregnancy

Additional Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria for Subject with non-AD dementias

  • Standard clinical diagnostic criteria accepted by the field for non-AD dementias should be used by the Institution.
05

Study design

Observational model
Case-control
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrollment
40 participants (actual)
Biospecimen retention
Samples with dna

Groups and cohorts

  • Collection of CSF

    1. Those with Alzheimer's disease 2. Those with non-Alzheimer's disease dementia 3. Healthy elderly volunteers

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Ratio of CSF tau to Aβ42 (tau/Aβ42)

    CSF will be collected in clinic and shipped frozen to Merck's Clinical Development Lab for testing. Any remaining samples will be kept up to 20 years.

    Time frame: CSF will be collected at Visit 1 (up to 30 days after the screening visit)

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Duke Health Center at Morreene Road
    Durham, North Carolina 27705, United States
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 22, 2014, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01730430
Lead sponsor
Duke University
Collaborators
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Nov 21, 2012
Start date
Jul 2012
Primary completion
Dec 2013
Completion
Dec 2013
Last update
Apr 22, 2014

Study contacts

James Burke, MD, PhD
principal investigator · Duke UMC

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Apr 2014. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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