Clinical trial NCT00001235: Genetic Studies in Alzheimer's Disease
Official title: Biochemical and Genetic Studies in Familial Alzheimer's Disease
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Alzheimer's Disease
Nervous System Disease
Keywords: Primary Neuronal Degeneration
Genetics
Neurotransmitters
DNA
Lymphoblasts
Skin Fibroblast
Alzheimer's Disease
Lead sponsor: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
Sponsor class: NIH
First posted: 1999-11-04
Enrollment: 1500
Sex: ALL
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes

Brief summary: Alzheimer's disease is a condition marked by the deterioration of mental function. The disease usually begins in late middle life and results in death in 5 to 10 years. Patients with Alzheimer's disease typically suffer from memory loss, confusion, and disorientation. The condition has become a major medical and social problem in the United States because of the increasing number of people living beyond the age of 65. The actual cause of Alzheimer's disease is unknown.

Researchers believe that Alzheimer's disease, or at least a portion of cases, may be an inherited condition. As a result, many new techniques have been developed to study the genetic causes of Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders. Many of these genetic techniques require blood samples and a family pedigree. A pedigree is a chart, similar to a family tree, that shows a patient's family history.

The purpose of this study is to collect family and psychosocial information, blood, and biopsy samples from patients with neurological diseases, their families, and normal volunteers. This information gathered will be used to learn more about diseases that affect the brain.

Detailed description: This is a screening and follow-up Protocol. Recent technological advances have facilitated the development of new approaches for investigating the underlying genetic basis of neurological disorders, but genetic questions remain open and on going. Application of many genetic techniques require a family pedigree and blood sample. Peripheral blood lymphoblasts which are banked also serve as a renewable source for harvesting DNA which can be used for developing genetic markers in the future. This study will allow collection of family and psychosocial information and blood specimens from patients with neurological diseases, their families, and normal control subjects.

Eligibility criteria: INCLUSION/EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Need to know extensive family history information.

Primary outcomes:
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Bethesda
country: United States
facility: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
state: Maryland
Study officials:
References:
citation: Nee LE, Polinsky RJ, Eldridge R, Weingartner H, Smallberg S, Ebert M. A family with histologically confirmed Alzheimer's disease. Arch Neurol. 1983 Apr;40(4):203-8. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1983.04050040033004.
citation: Sherrington R, Rogaev EI, Liang Y, Rogaeva EA, Levesque G, Ikeda M, Chi H, Lin C, Li G, Holman K, Tsuda T, Mar L, Foncin JF, Bruni AC, Montesi MP, Sorbi S, Rainero I, Pinessi L, Nee L, Chumakov I, Pollen D, Brookes A, Sanseau P, Polinsky RJ, Wasco W, Da Silva HA, Haines JL, Perkicak-Vance MA, Tanzi RE, Roses AD, Fraser PE, Rommens JM, St George-Hyslop PH. Cloning of a gene bearing missense mutations in early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease. Nature. 1995 Jun 29;375(6534):754-60. doi: 10.1038/375754a0.
citation: Nee LE. Effects of psychosocial interactions at a cellular level. Soc Work. 1995 Mar;40(2):259-62.