Patient case (clinical description): A 70-year-old man comes to the office accompanied by his wife.  The patient has experienced progressive memory loss over the last years.  He needs help with some of his routine activities, such as paying bills.  The patient's wife says, "He used to be such an independent person, but now he needs help with many things, even finding direction to home!"  Medical history includes hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus.  Family history includes Alzheimer disease in his father.  MRI reveals diffuse cortical and hippocampal atrophy. The diagnosis of AD is made using the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) criteria.

Patient's own account: I am a 70-year-old man, and I paid a visit to the doctor with my wife the other day. I noticed that I tend to forget small things and that my memory has decreased over the past few years. I even ask my wife to help me out with my daily routine. I used to be the one paying the bills, but now she has to give me a hand. My wife mentioned to the doctor that I used to be independent and that I tend to forget where we live. I suffer from hypertension, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. My poor dad was suffering from Alzheimer disease, so I hope I'm not going to end the same way! I did an MRI and they found out that some part of my brain was decreasing. I also did an Alzheimer test.

Clinical trial: The Assessment of the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Patients With Alzheimer Disease or Parkinson Disease With Cognitive Impairment by Using Diffusion MRI

Eligibility criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

        All subjects should meet the following criteria:

          1. Between 50-80 years old

          2. Right-handed

          3. Able to understand study requirements and give informed consent

          4. Agree to return for follow-up checks

          5. Able to suspend intake of medication for at least 12 hours

        Exclusion Criteria:

          -  Cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator implantation Intracranial metal device implantation

          -  Other major systemic diseases, such as renal failure, heart failure, stroke,
             AMI/unstable angina, poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, poorly controlled
             hypertension

          -  Alcohol or drug abuse

          -  Moderate to severe dementia

          -  Severe movement disorders

          -  Imaging data is similar to a nuclear medical examination, exclusion criteria is any
             abnormality that may affect cognitive function as reflected in computer tomography or
             MRI records, such as hydrocephalus or encephalitis. Mild cortical atrophy is
             acceptable.

          -  History of intracranial surgery including thalamotomy, pallidotomy, and/or deep brain
             stimulation

          -  Major physical or neuropsychiatric disorders

          -  Structural abnormalities that may cause dementia, such as cortical infarction, tumour,
             or subdural hematoma

          -  Besides medication for Parkinson's Disease, taking other medication with substances
             that can pass through the blood-brain barrier

          -  Besides medication for Parkinson's Disease, taking other medication for more than 10
             years

          -  Treatments or concurrent illnesses other than Alzheimer's Disease that could interfere
             with cognitive function

          -  Meet the criteria for dementia (DSM-IV)

          -  Head trauma with loss of consciousness greater than 10 minutes

          -  Severe loss of sensation
No condition on gender to be admitted to the trial.
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Subject must be at least 50 Years old.
Subject must be at most 80 Years

Eligibility (NLI label): Contradiction