Investigating biomarkers in cognitively normal elderly participants.

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Investigating healthy brain ageing with multiple biomarkers in cognitively normal advanced elderly participants.

• IRAS ID

  138402

• Contact name

  Karl Herholz

• Contact email

  karl.herholz@manchester.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Manchester

• Research summary

  Dementing diseases of old age are an expanding problem in developed countries as their populations get older. Advanced age (over 65 years) is associated with many changes that occur within the human brain. These brain changes can often affect an individual’s ability to function normally in daily life, an individual’s behaviour and thinking can be seriously altered.
  Although dementia is on the increase, many people reach old age and still have normal everyday function, including behaviour and thinking ability. These people, as “successful“ brain agers, can potentially provide vital clues about what is required to sustain brain health into the eighth, ninth and tenth decades of life.
  The purpose of this series of proposed investigations is to understand, from the perspective of the brain and other biological factors within the body, people who reach advanced age and still maintain normal daily function, including behaviour and thinking ability. To better understand this we will apply several techniques, that include psychological testing, taking images of the brain of living participants (with PET and MRI scanners) and taking blood samples. These biological markers (a.k.a. biomarkers) will provide vital information about brain health and what changes within the brain can trigger different dementia diseases (particularly Alzheimer’s disease). As well as providing information about which individuals are at risk of developing dementia, these biomarkers may also provide new explanations why some old people are apparently protected from developing dementia.

• REC name

  North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  14/NW/0011

• Date of REC Opinion

  6 May 2014

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion