An observational study in Alzheimer Disease, Early Onset, Alzheimer Disease and Alzheimer Disease, Late Onset, sponsored by University of California, Los Angeles. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 50 Years to 85 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-04-30.
Sponsored by University of California, Los Angeles · Observational
This study attempts to identify two types of AD by using clinical and cognitive tasks and brain imaging. The subtypes of AD are separated into a "typical" group (memory loss) and a "variant" group (language, visuospatial, and other cognitive difficulties). Performance on the clinical tasks and brain imaging will be compared among the young-onset Alzheimer's disease group, a late-onset Alzheimer's disease group, and a control group.
Unlike the usual late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), early-onset AD (EOAD), with onset before age 65, includes a high percentage of phenotypic variants. These non-familial, variants (vEOAD) present, not with progressive memory loss, but with language, visuospatial, or other cognitive difficulties. AD is now understood as a disorder that manifests with disturbed cognition reflecting disturbed neural networks. A multivariate analysis of neuropsychological tests, the "gold standard" for objectively defining neurocognitive impairments, coupled with structural and functional neuroimaging analysis of connectomes, can identify the neurocognitive-neural network profiles of vEOAD patients, compared to those with typical AD. This knowledge can increase our understanding of the heterogeneity of AD and how it causes disease.
This study hopes to show that vEOAD constitutes a "Type 2 AD", by (1) defining the neuropsychological components of Type 2 AD, and (2) understanding the anatomy and atrophy of the brains of vEOAD patients. Together, these components can outline the neurocognitive-neural network profile of Type 2 AD.
In addition to information that can help in the diagnosis and management of EOAD, this study can stimulate novel research into the reasons for this neurobiological heterogeneity in AD and could potentially lead to interventions based on alternate neurocognitive-neural network profiles.
Patients with a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD; with a diagnosis before age 65), including early-onset neurodegenerative conditions such as primary progressive aphasia (PPA), other aphasias (logopenic, semantic, and non-fluent), posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), ideomotor limb apraxias, and executive dysfunction.
Inclusion criteria for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD):
Exclusion criteria for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD):
Score 28/30 or higher on the Folstein Mini-Mental Status Exam.
Complicating medical illnesses.
This group will include 90 patients who have been diagnosed with clinically probable early-onset Alzheimer's disease by the UCLA Neurology Clinic (60 variant phenotypes; 30 typical amnestic).
This group will include 30 patients who have been diagnosed with clinically probable Alzheimer's disease (typical late-onset AD)
Healthy age-matched individuals without clinically significant cognitive impairments will be enrolled into this study.
Alzheimer's disease Subtype
Neuropsychological testing results for use in a two-stage multivariate diagnostic method that combines the (weighted) test results in order to best discriminate Type 2 AD and typical AD.
Time frame: Performed at baseline
Change in overall Neurological profile
Change in performance on neurological tasks between baseline visit and follow-up visit.
Time frame: Performed at baseline and 1-year follow-up visit
Brain atrophy in MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the brain
Images from initial MRI scan taken at baseline visit will be analyzed for atrophy and white matter tract integrity
Time frame: Performed at baseline visit
Change in overall Neuropsychological profile
Change in neuropsychological performance over time.
Time frame: Performed at baseline and 1-year follow-up visit
Documents are hosted by the registry — open the source record to download them.
Plan to share: No
This study is completed, as verified in Apr 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
University of California, Los Angeles