Back to search results

Cerebrovascular Health and Resilience in Midlife Study

This study is looking at how your body's response to stress might affect your brain health. Researchers will ask you to complete a short, challenging task called the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task, which is designed to create a brief psychological challenge. They will measure your blood pressure and other heart functions during this task. They will also look at your brain using an MRI scan to see how stress responses relate to brain health indicators like white matter hyperintensity burden (small changes in the brain's white matter) and hippocampal volume (the size of a part of your brain important for memory). You can join if you are between 40 and 59 years old, can speak English, and can visit the University of Pittsburgh campus twice. The study aims to enroll 450 participants.

Study design
This is an interventional study, meaning participants will undergo a specific task. It plans to enroll 450 participants, but the current status is unclear.
What's involved
You would attend two study visits at the University of Pittsburgh campus. These visits include providing health information, body composition evaluations, and undergoing a brief psychological task while cardiovascular activity is measured, as well as a 50-minute MRI scan.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Not specified.

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

NCT06029348

Cerebrovascular Health and Resilience in Midlife

Recruiting
NAAges 40–59InterventionalBasic science
University of Pittsburgh
~450 participants
Updated 2025-09-26 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Change in systolic blood pressure (SBP) from baseline to task
Measured over Mean SBPs for the computation of change scores will be computed from the average of the 5 min baseline period and average of the 4 min task period
+6 more outcomes measured

Conditions

Psychological Stress
Cardiovascular Diseases
Cerebrovascular Disorders

Explore related trials

Cardiovascular DisorderCerebrovascular DisorderPsychological stress

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
Pennsylvania1

Study leadership

  • Peter J Gianaros, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of Pittsburgh

Who to contact

Peter J Gianaros, PhD
[email protected]
412-624-4500
Email the study team

Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.

Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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

Able to attend 2 study visits at the University of Pittsburgh campus in Oakland (Pennsylvania)
Able to read and speak English

Exclusion

Uncontrolled hypertension (systolic blood pressure \>160 or diastolic blood pressure \>100 mmHg)
Current use of anticonvulsant, anti-Parkinson, neuroleptic, or antipsychotic medications
Current use of glucocorticoids (e.g., oral prednisone) or ephedrine
Current chronic conditions of the lungs, liver and kidney, as well as cancer (chemotherapy and radiation) treatment in the past 12 months (allowances are made for non-melanoma skin cancer treatment, controlled asthma, and allergy inhalers)
Self-reported major neurological disorders or brain injuries (e.g., multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, major head injury)
Self-reported psychotic illnesses (mania, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia)
Current pregnancy or childbirth within the past 6 months
Suspected mild cognitive impairment or dementia
Self reported sleep apnea
Self-reported history of myocardial infarction, stroke, or revascularization procedures, as well as treatment for cardiac arrhythmias
Self-reported lack of comfort to undergo MRI testing
Presence of implants or objects that are unsafe for MRI (e.g., tattooed eyeliner), as well as any other contraindications that would prevent MRI testing
Self-reported lack of comfort to undergo the laboratory math task

What this trial measures

  • Change in systolic blood pressure (SBP) from baseline to taskMean SBPs for the computation of change scores will be computed from the average of the 5 min baseline period and average of the 4 min task period

    The mean SBP from the baseline period will be subtracted from the mean of the task period.

  • White matter hyperintensity burdenDerived from one acquisition sequence within in a 50 min multimodal MRI protocol

    White matter hyperintensity burden will be computed as the total sum of the voxels segmented as hyperintensities multiplied by voxel dimensions to yield a total score (units of mm-cubed).

  • Hippocampal volumeDerived from one acquisition sequence within a 50 min multimodal MRI protocol

    Total bilateral hippocampal volume will be computed as the total sum of voxels automatically segmented.

  • Perivascular space volumeDerived from one acquisition sequence in a 50 min multimodal MRI protocol

    Total perivascular space volume will be computed from segmented brain blood vessel-tissue interfaces.

  • Pulse wave velocity5 minutes

    Pulse wave velocity in m/s will be assessed by dual impedance cardiography as a non-invasive indicator of arterial stiffness. This measure will be derived from the 5 minute baseline period.

  • Spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity5 minutes

    Spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity in ms/mmHg will be computed by the sequence method applied to beat-to-beat blood pressure and electrocardiogram recordings.

  • Endothelial function15 minutes

    Endothelial-dependent vasodilation will be measured non-invasively in a reactive hyperemia protocol using digital thermal monitoring.