An observational study in Alzheimer Disease, sponsored by Tammie L. S. Benzinger, MD, PhD. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-08.
Sponsored by Tammie L. S. Benzinger, MD, PhD · Observational
To identify factors that signal the transition from asymptomatic (preclinical) to symptomatic Alzheimer disease (AD).
The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the structure and function of the brain in healthy aging and early Alzheimer's disease using positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) imaging. The study involves imaging the brain to detect the presence of amyloid deposits (plaques in the brain). Amyloid is a protein that may be related to dementia of Alzheimer's disease (DAT).
This study will use radioactive tracers called C-11 Pittsburgh Compound B (PIB) and F 18/ AV-1451 (Flortaucipir) which binds to beta amyloid and tau in the brain. These compounds are considered investigational, which means that they have not been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
3,965 studies on the registry are indexed under Alzheimer Disease; 926 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 650 is above the median of 200 across 814 observational studies indexed under Alzheimer Disease.
Browse Alzheimer Disease studies →Tammie L. S. Benzinger, MD, PhD is the lead sponsor of 11 studies on the registry; 4 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Participants are referred from the Washington University Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC). The ADRC is responsible for the recruitment, enrollment, and maintenance of the Total Registry (TR). The Knight ADRC primarily recruits participants by means of word of mouth and public service announcements from the greater metropolitan St. Louis area. A small percentage (\~17%) of participants are referred by a Washington University physician.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?FR=361.1
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.
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.
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
The other ingredients in a medicine besides the active drug, such as fillers, colours or preservatives.
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.
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hypersensitivity
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Excipients
The other ingredients in a medicine besides the active drug, such as fillers, colours or preservatives.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraception
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
African American participants receiving \[11C\]-Pittsburgh Compound B (\[11C\]PiB) F 18 AV-1451 (Flortaucipir) for imaging.
Drug: [11C]-Pittsburgh Compound B ([11C]PiB) · Drug: F 18 AV-1451 (Flortaucipir)
Non-Hispanic White participants receiving \[11C\]-Pittsburgh Compound B (\[11C\]PiB) F 18 AV-1451 (Flortaucipir) for imaging.
Drug: [11C]-Pittsburgh Compound B ([11C]PiB) · Drug: F 18 AV-1451 (Flortaucipir)
Drug pages: PIB C-11 · Pittsburgh compound B
A dosage range between 6.0 - 20.0 mCi (222-740 MBq) is planned for \[11C\] PIB. A PET-certified medical professional will prepare and administer the \[11C\] PIB tracer. Prior to the administration, the dosage will be assayed in a dose calibrator and diluted with 0.9% sodium chloride (normal saline) up to a total 20 mL syringe volume. Participants will receive a maximum intravenous bolus injection of 20.0 mCi of \[11C\] PIB followed by a 10 mL 0.9% sodium chloride (normal saline) flush.
Also known as: PiB
A dosage range between 6.5 - 10.0 mCi (240-370MBq) is planned for \[18F\] AV-1451. A PET-certified medical professional will prepare and administer the \[18F\] AV-1451tracer. Prior to the administration, the dosage will be assayed in a dose calibrator. The volume of 18F-AV-1451 dose should not be adjusted by adding normal saline to the syringe. Participants will receive a maximum intravenous bolus injection of 10.0 mCi of \[18F\] AV-1451 followed by a 10 mL flush of 0.9% sodium chloride (normal saline).
Also known as: F 18 AV-1451
AD Biomarkers seen on Amyloid PET at Baseline and Years 1, 2, and/or 3
This Project aims to identify factors that signal the transition from asymptomatic (preclinical) to symptomatic Alzheimer disease (AD). This will be done by comparing imaging biomarkers seen with amyloid PET and the tracer C-11 PIB at baseline to imaging biomarkers collected longitudinally, at years 1, 2, and/or 3.
Time frame: 5 years
AD Biomarkers seen on Tau PET at Baseline and Years 1, 2, and/or 3
This Project aims to identify factors that signal the transition from asymptomatic (preclinical) to symptomatic Alzheimer disease (AD). This will be done by comparing imaging biomarkers seen with tau PET and the tracer Flortaucipir at baseline to imaging biomarkers collected longitudinally, at years 1, 2, and/or 3.
Time frame: 5 years
AD Biomarkers seen on MRI at Baseline and Years 1, 2, and/or 3
This Project aims to identify factors that signal the transition from asymptomatic (preclinical) to symptomatic Alzheimer disease (AD). This will be done by comparing imaging biomarkers seen with MRI at baseline to imaging biomarkers collected longitudinally, at years 1, 2, and/or 3.
Time frame: 5 years
Compare and Correlate Predictive Ability of Biomarkers Seen with Different Imaging Variables for Onset of Symptoms
This project aims to compare and correlate the predictive ability of baseline values and rates of change of molecular biomarkers of AD for onset of AD symptoms with other variables. Variables obtained in this project include: 1) volumetric MRI, 2) MRI measures of vascular burden, 3) functional MRI, 4) amyloid PET, and 5) tau PET.
Time frame: 5 years
Compare and Correlate Predictive Ability of Biomarkers Seen with Other Types of Variables for Onset of Symptoms
This project aims to compare and correlate the predictive ability of baseline values and rates of change of molecular biomarkers of AD for onset of AD symptoms with other variables obtained through Knight ADRC data sharing, which include, 1) clinical (demographic information, socioeconomic status, Clinical Dementia Rating, etiology of cognitive disorder (when present), and comorbid disorders, including cardiovascular disease); 2) cross-sectional and longitudinal cognitive performance, 3) indicators of sleep disruption 4) APOE genotype and genetic variants associated with resilience novel CSF analytes of neurofilament light chain, neurogranin, and SNAP-25 as markers of axonal and synaptic injury.
Time frame: 5 years
Disparities for molecular biomarkers of AD in non-Hispanic white (NHW) and African American (AA) older adults
The study will also focus on disparities for molecular biomarkers of AD in non-Hispanic white (NHW) and African American (AA) older adults. Aim 2 will compare the risk (or the hazard) of developing AD symptoms by race, and will treat death as a potential competing risk in the progression of dementia.
Time frame: 5 years
Plan to share: No — We will share imaging data with other researchers. They may be doing research in areas similar to this research or in other unrelated areas. These researchers may be at Washington University, at other research centers and institutions, or industry sponsors of research. We may also share research data with large data repositories (a repository is a database of information) for broad sharing with the research community. If individual research data is placed in one of these repositories only qualified researchers, who have received prior approval from individuals that monitor the use of the data, will be able to look at your information. The shared information will not include names but may be linked by a global unique identifier (GUID) number.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Sep 2021 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Nov 2027, 74 months after the start.
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 planned 74 months is close to 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.
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Tammie L. S. Benzinger, MD, PhD