ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT02330510MITNEC C6Updated Dec 16, 2024

Amyloid and Glucose PET Imaging in Alzheimer and Vascular Cognitive Impairment Patients With Significant White Matter Disease

An observational study in Alzheimer's Disease, Small Vessel Disease White Matter Hyperintensities Subtype and Vascular Cognitive Impairment, sponsored by Dr. Sandra E Black. Completed at 8 sites in Canada. Open to participants aged 60 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-12-16.

Sponsored by Dr. Sandra E Black · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
80
Ages
60 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The prevalence of both Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and stroke doubles each decade over 65 years old. Both are major causes of dementia, currently estimated to affect 46 million people worldwide. The current costs globally are $818 billion. Additionally, in population studies elders over 65 years, "covert" cerebral small vessel disease appears on MRI scans as silent lacunar infarcts in 25% as Microbleeds in 10%, and as focal or diffuse 'incidental' white matter disease (WMD) in 95%. WMD is extensive in 20%, with a clinical threshold effect around 10cc2. Small vessel disease is even more common in dementia, often coexisting with AD and independently contributing to cognitive decline and progression to dementia. Longitudinal imaging using cerebral amyloid labeling opens a new opportunity to understand the additive/interactive effects of small vessel disease and AD.

The design of this study includes recruitment of two cohorts, including Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and/or early Alzheimer Disease subjects from memory clinics and subjects with strokes/TIA from stroke prevention clinics. Inclusion criteria include the presence of moderate/extensive white matter disease, eg. Fazekas score of 2 (with confluent peri-ventricular hyperintensities) or Fazekas score of 3, as determined by previous MR or CT, > 60 years of age, Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE) scores ≥ 20. Subjects will undergo 3T structural MRI (including T1, PD/T2, FLAIR, GRE, DTI, ASL, and resting state fMRI), glucose PET, amyloid PET (using AV-45 florbetapir) and neuropsychological testing, as well as blood sampling. Repeat MR and PET/CT imaging and neuropsychological testing will be conducted at 24 months. The follow up assessments can also be completed at either year 1 or year 3 or Year 4 depending on the availability of study participants. The imaging portion is designed to closely parallel the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) in order to benefit from the availability of both cognitively normal controls (NC), MCI and Alzheimer's disease subjects with minimal WMD.

Read the detailed description

This study will be a multi-center trial to be conducted in centers across Canada and approximately 80 patients will be enrolled. Participants will be recruited from both stroke prevention (N=40) and memory clinics (N=40). For comparison, we will access the publically-available data using a very similar protocol being collected from normal controls (N=250), MCI (N=250 early MCI, N=150 late MCI) and AD patients (N=150) without significant white matter disease, who are participating in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI-GO and ADNI 2, N=800), to choose representative samples for comparison to those with scores ≤ 1 who represent the non-white matter disease group.

Three imaging modalities will be used with each participant. 3 Telsa MRI scans will be acquired, using an ADNI based protocol, except for the addition of a PD/T2 interleved sequence. Participants will also undergo 18-fluoro PET with the AVID-45 ligand and 18-fluorodeoxyglucose PET using the ADNI protocols.

The primary objectives are to characterize at baseline and 2-year follow-up in patients with significant Periventricular White Matter Hyperintensities (pvWMH), presenting as transient cerebrovascular events or memory problems, patterns of: 1. Uptake of amyloid on Florbetapir F-18 PET/CT 2. Glucose uptake on 18F-FDG PET/CT 3. Volumetric measures of brain structure on MRI imaging 4. Performance on standard neuropsychological assessments, activities of daily living and gait speed.

Secondary objectives are to: 1. Compare the relationship between amyloid brain uptake, pvWMH volumes, and cognitive scores in patients with significant pvWMH and a control group of individuals that are cognitively normal, MCI or AD, with mild pvWMH, identified from the ADNI database. 2. Examine the relationship between amyloid uptake, ApoE e4 genotype, and structural MRI volumes in patients with a high burden of pvWMH. 3. Evaluate the utility of baseline brain amyloid to predict cognitive decline and increases in pvWMH volume at 2 years follow up. 4. Evaluate the safety of a single intravenous dose of Florbetapir F 18 Injection (370 MBq +/- 10%) in subjects with significant pvWMH.

02

Conditions studied

  • Alzheimer's Disease
  • Small Vessel Disease White Matter Hyperintensities Subtype
  • Vascular Cognitive Impairment

Keywords

  • Alzheimer's Disease
  • White Matter Hyperintensities
  • Vascular Cognitive Impairment
  • Amyloid Imaging
  • Transient Ischemic Attack
03

In context

Alzheimer Disease

3,965 studies on the registry are indexed under Alzheimer Disease; 926 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 80 is below the median of 200 across 814 observational studies indexed under Alzheimer Disease.

Browse Alzheimer Disease studies →

Lead sponsor

This is the only study on the registry with Dr. Sandra E Black as lead sponsor.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
60 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Probability sample

Study population

Two groups of patients will participate in this study:

  1. Patients with early Alzheimer's Disease (AD) or amnestic or multi-domain Mild Cognitive Impairment who have extensive pvWMH; recruited from memory clinics (n= 40)
  2. Patients who have had a stroke or a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) with extensive pvWMH; recruited from stroke prevention clinics (n= 40)

Eligibility criteria

Eligible subjects must meet the following criteria before they are enrolled into the study:

  1. Patients with early AD or amnestic, non-amnestic single or multi-domain MCI who have confluent pvWMH; recruited from memory clinics. Or Patients who have had a minor stroke (e.g. subcortical lacunar infarct ≤1.5cm) or a with confluent pvWMH; recruited from stroke prevention clinics.
  2. Age ≥ 60
  3. Patients who have provided written
  4. Patients with greater than 8 years of education
  5. Patients with an expected survival of greater than 2 years
  6. Patients that are sufficient fluency in French or English for cognitive testing
  7. Patients with a score of (MMSE) ≥ 20
  8. Patients with pvWMH score on CT or MRI of ≥2 on the periventricular Fazekas scale 31 NOTE: Fazekas 2 patients can be included if they have bilateral posterior or anterior periventricular caps extending only 10mm from the ventricle (i.e. halfway into the surrounding white matter vs extending out to most of the surrounding white matter required for Fazekas 3)

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Subject meeting any one of the following criteria are not eligible for the the study:
  2. Patients with cortical or non-lacunar infarct on imaging
  3. Patients with persisting hemiparesis after a motor stroke, leg strength \<4/5 on the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale; significant cerebellar ataxia
  4. Patients with to 3T MRI
  5. Patients with major psychiatric disorder during the preceding 5 years
  6. History of substance abuse within the past 2 years
  7. Serious/chronic systemic or neurological illness (other than AD) such as Parkinson's disease, multi-infarct dementia, Huntington's disease, normal pressure hydrocephalus, brain tumor, progressive supranuclear palsy, seizure disorder, subdural hematoma, multiple sclerosis, or history of significant head trauma followed by persistent neurologic deficits or known structural brain abnormalities
  8. Pain or sleep disorder that could interfere with testing
  9. Claustrophobia
  10. Patients that have received radiation therapy to the head or neck or have been in another research study involving radiation
  11. Patients who are unable or unwilling to comply with protocol requirements or deemed by the investigator to be unfit for the study.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(4)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

TIA (transient ischaemic attack)

A “mini-stroke”: temporary stroke-like symptoms caused by reduced blood flow to part of the brain, spinal cord or eye, without signs of a new stroke on a scan.

Stroke symptoms need emergency care at once, even if they go away.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

MMSE and MoCA

Short tests of memory and thinking, each scored out of 30. Lower scores suggest more difficulty; criteria give a range, either to include people with memory problems or to leave them out.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
80 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No
Biospecimen retention
Samples with dna

Groups and cohorts

  • Alzheimer's Disease

    Individuals with early Alzheimer's Disease (AD) or amnestic or multi-domain Mild Cognitive Impairment who have extensive Periventricular White Matter Hyperintensities

  • Transient Ischemic Attack/Mild Subcortical Stroke

    Individuals who have had a mild subcortical stroke or a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) with extensive Periventricular White Matter Hyperintensities in the absence of cortical infarcts

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in F18 florbetapir SUVR over 2 years in patients with moderate-severe White Matter Hyperintensities, at baseline and 1 year follow-up brain uptake of Florbetapir F 18

    Standardized measures of F18 florbetapir brain uptake will be compared to baseline uptake patterns and prevalence of signal uptake in various areas

    Time frame: 24 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Florbetapir F18 SUVR brain uptake, regional FDG metabolic measures and regional volutmetrics on MRI based volume including grey and white matter, small vessel disease, as well as regional cortical thickness measures.

    Standardized measures of F18 florbetapir brain uptake will be correlated with posterior-cingulate and parietal-temporal metabolism. We will also correlate with hippocampal, ventricular and regional volumes and with cortical thickness, derived with Lesion Explorer enhancement

    Time frame: 24 months

  2. F18 florbetapir SUVR brain uptake, with Periventricular White Matter Hyperintensity volumes and cognitive scores.

    The relationship between F18 florbetapir brain uptake, Periventricular White Matter Hyperintensity volumes, executive function and memory scores, in patients with significant pvWMH, accounting for relevant co-variates (age, education), using multivariate analysis including Partial Least Squares (PLS).

    Time frame: 24 months

  3. F18 florbetapir brain SUVR uptake, Periventricular White Matter Hyperintensity volumes and cognitive scores in an age-matched group of normal controls, MCI and AD subjects with minimal or mild degrees of pvWMH.

    Mutlivariate analysis will be used to carry out this analysis, including PLS

    Time frame: 24 months

  4. F18 florbetapir SUVR brain uptake, ApoE e4 genotype status, and White Matter Hyperintensity volumes in patients with a high burden of pvWMH.

    Time frame: 24 months

  5. Baseline F18 florbetapir SUVR brain uptake, cognitive score decline and increase in White Matter Hyperintensity volume at 2 year follow up.

    Time frame: 24 months

  6. Assess any adverse events or serious adverse events occurring with a a single intravenous dose of F18 florbetapir Injection (370 MBq +/- 10%) in subjects with significant pvWM

    Time frame: 24 months

07

Study locations

8 sites
  • University of Alberta Health Services
    Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • University of British Columbia Hospital
    Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 2B5, Canada
  • Hamilton General Hospital
    Hamilton, Ontario L8L 2X2, Canada
  • Parkwood Hospital St. Joseph's Health Care
    London, Ontario N6C 5J1, Canada
  • Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
    Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada
  • Jewish General Hospital
    Montreal, Quebec H3T 1E2, Canada
  • CHU de Quebec
    Quebec city, Quebec, Canada
  • CHU de Sherbrooke
    Quebec, J1H 5H3, Canada
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Mojiri Forooshani P, Biparva M, Ntiri EE, Ramirez J, Boone L, Holmes MF, Adamo S, Gao F, Ozzoude M, Scott CJM, Dowlatshahi D, Lawrence-Dewar JM, Kwan D, Lang AE, Marcotte K, Leonard C, Rochon E, Heyn C, Bartha R, Strother S, Tardif JC, Symons S, Masellis M, Swartz RH, Moody A, Black SE, Goubran M. Deep Bayesian networks for uncertainty estimation and adversarial resistance of white matter hyperintensity segmentation. Hum Brain Mapp. 2022 May;43(7):2089-2108. doi: 10.1002/hbm.25784. Epub 2022 Jan 28. PubMed 35088930 ↗
  • Ntiri EE, Holmes MF, Forooshani PM, Ramirez J, Gao F, Ozzoude M, Adamo S, Scott CJM, Dowlatshahi D, Lawrence-Dewar JM, Kwan D, Lang AE, Symons S, Bartha R, Strother S, Tardif JC, Masellis M, Swartz RH, Moody A, Black SE, Goubran M. Improved Segmentation of the Intracranial and Ventricular Volumes in Populations with Cerebrovascular Lesions and Atrophy Using 3D CNNs. Neuroinformatics. 2021 Oct;19(4):597-618. doi: 10.1007/s12021-021-09510-1. Epub 2021 Feb 1. PubMed 33527307 ↗
09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Ran from Aug 2014 to primary completion in Dec 2024, 124 months.

Of 364 non-industry observational studies under Alzheimer Disease, half reached primary completion within 81 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 39 and three quarters within 203. This study's 124 months is above that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 405 studies reached it within 67 months; a quarter within 35 and three quarters within 171.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jun 27, 2014
First posted
Jan 5, 2015
StartActual
Aug 2014
Primary completionActual
Dec 10, 2024
CompletionActual
Dec 10, 2024
Last update
Dec 16, 2024
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Dec 16, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02330510
Lead sponsor
Dr. Sandra E Black
Responsible party
Dr. Sandra E Black (Principal Investigator, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Jan 5, 2015
Start date
Aug 2014
Primary completion
Dec 10, 2024
Completion
Dec 10, 2024
Last update
Dec 16, 2024

Study contacts

Sandra E. Black, MD
principal investigator · Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Dec 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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