Brain Study of Patients with Frontal Lobe Dementia and Parkinsonian Disorders

The Cognitive Neuroscience Section of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke proposes to continue its cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of cerebral metabolism in frontal lobe dementias and atypical basal ganglia disorders. These studies include repeated assessments of neuropsychological and brain anatomical and metabolic function in subjects with these important and possibly related brain disorders.

Official Title

Regional Cerebral Utilization of Glucose in Patients with a Diagnosis of Frontal Lobe Dementia, Atypical Parkinsonian Disorder, and Other Basal Ganglia Disorders

Conditions

– Alzheimer’s Disease- Dementia- Down’s Syndrome

Study Type

Observational

Study Design

Natural History

Further Details

The Cognitive Neuroscience Section of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke proposes to continue its cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of cerebral metabolism in frontal lobe dementias and atypical basal ganglia disorders. These studies include repeated assessments of neuropsychological and brain anatomical and metabolic function in subjects with these important and possibly related brain disorders.

Study Start

Eligibility & Criteria

Genders Eligible for Study: Both Accepts Healthy VolunteersCriteria INCLUSION CRITERIA:Patients with frontotemporal dementia and atypical basal ganglia disorders will be recruited from neurological and psychiatric clinics, from self or family referral in response to advertisements or from private physicians.Only patients without evidence or history of significant chronic disease who meet standard clinical criteria for the diagnosis of dementia of the Frontotemporal disease type (possible or probable) or atypical basal ganglia disease (e.g., CBD) will be accepted into this protocol.Normal volunteers will be recruited through the NIH normal volunteer office and will undergo the same screening process as the patient group.All subjects need to be off all medications, except for thyroid replacement, for the two weeks prior to the PET scan, and off psychotropic medication for one month.EXCLUSION CRITERIA:No subject will be accepted for study if he or she shows undue anxiety or appears unmanageable.Subjects will be cautioned not to consume alcohol, marijuana, or psychotropic drugs while on the study, nor to smoke for at least 24 hours prior to the PET scan.Urine pregnancy tests will be conducted prior to PET and MRI scans in women of childbearing age.

Total Enrolment

483

Contact Details

[1] National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) (US)