Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project: Understanding Brain Aging and Alzheimer's Disease

This observational study, the Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project, is looking at how your vascular health (blood vessel health) relates to early signs of Alzheimer's disease and other brain changes as you age. Researchers will examine clinical information, brain scans (MRI), and biological markers to understand these connections before significant memory loss occurs. They also want to see how medical and genetic factors, like inflammation or insulin resistance, might play a role. The study aims to enroll 1,000 adults aged 50 and older, with a small group of about 150 participants having mild cognitive impairment. Success will be measured by understanding how vascular health affects brain volume and blood flow over five years.

Study design
This is an observational study planning to enroll 1,000 participants aged 50 and older. It does not involve any interventions or treatments.
What's involved
Not specified in the trial record.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your brain changes, including white matter hyperintensities, grey matter volume, and cerebral blood flow, will be measured from the start of the study up to five years later.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT05372159

Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project

Active, Not Recruiting
Not specifiedAges 60+Observational
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
~1,000 participants
Updated 2026-08-14 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:none, observational study

At a glance

Recruiting sites
0 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
White matter hyperintensities Volume
Measured over baseline to year five
+12 more outcomes measured
Alzheimer Disease
Aging
Aged, 80 and Over
Biomarkers
Brain
Case-Control Studies
Cognitive Dysfunction
Neuropsychological Tests

NCT05372159

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center

    Nashville, Tennesseeno site contact published

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

  • Angela Jefferson, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Vanderbilt University Medical Center

This trial hasn't published a contact. View it on ClinicalTrials.gov

Want this trial checked against your situation?

Add a private profile and we'll compare every criterion below against your situation — and tell you which ones are met, uncertain, or excluding.

Check eligibility for this trial ~2 min · HIPAA-protected · delete anytime
Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Participants recruited will include 1,000 adults age 50 and older.
After the eligibility visit, a small portion of participants (\~150) enrolling must meet diagnostic criteria for mild cognitive impairment according to a clinician diagnosis and/or medical records (i.e., participants must have mild memory or cognitive problems, but they must be free of any functional problems and not have Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia). The remaining \~850 participants will be cognitively unimpaired adults age 50 and older.
Because the neuropsychological tests used to measure cognitive performance are validated on English-speaking populations, we require that English be the primary language of all participants.

Exclusion

No available reliable study partner
Diagnosis of congestive heart failure
Diagnosis of atrial fibrillation or other heart arrhythmia
Diagnosis of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Diagnosis of cancer (current)
History of serious alcohol or drug abuse (past or current)
Participants unable to undergo MRI will be excluded. Reasons may include: a. Subjects who have any type of bioimplant activated by mechanical, electronic, or magnetic means (e.g., cochlear implants, pacemakers, neurostimulators, biostimulators, electronic infusion pumps, etc.). b. Subjects who have any type of ferromagnetic bioimplant that could potentially be displaced. c. Subjects who have cerebral aneurysm clips. d. Subjects who may have shrapnel imbedded in their bodies (e.g., from war wounds), metal workers and machinists (e.g., potential for metallic fragments in or near the eyes). e. Subjects who are pregnant. Given that the minimum age of recruitment for the current study is 50 years of age, it is unlikely that prospective participants will be excluded because of pregnancy. f. Subjects who have excessive amounts of metal dental work based on records released by their dentist.
  • White matter hyperintensities Volumebaseline to year five

    White matter lesion volume measured by FLAIR imaging modality

  • Grey Matter Volumebaseline to year five

    Grey matter volume measured by T1 imaging modality

  • Cerebral Blood Flowbaseline to year five

    Resting cerebral blood flow to brain regions measured by T3 perfusion

  • Lacunar infarctsbaseline to year five

    Number of lacunar infarcts measured by MRI

  • Small vessel microbleedsbaseline to year five

    Presence and number of microbleeds measured by MRI

  • Left ventricular ejection fractionbaseline to year five

    Left ventricular ejection fraction measured by echocardiogram

  • Cardiac outputbaseline to year five

    Amount of blood the heart pumps from each ventricle per minute, litres per minute (L/min). Measured by echocardiogram

  • Cardiac stroke volumebaseline to year five

    Stroke volume measured by echocardiogram

  • Pulse Wave velocitybaseline to year five

    pulse wave velocity measured by cardiac MRI

  • Cardiac Strainbaseline to year five

    Global longitudinal strain and global circumferential strain measured by cardiac MRI

  • Biological marker for Alzheimer's diseasebaseline to year five

    Tau, amyloid, neurodegenerative levels measured in cerebrospinal fluid samples

  • Blood based biological marker for Alzheimer's diseasebaseline to year five

    Tau, amyloid, neurodegenerative levels measured in blood samples

  • APOE Genotypebaseline to year five

    APOE e4 allele status