Ongoing Research Studies
Sex Differences in Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a public health crisis and is both more common and more severe in women. Through this study, we will use advanced neuroimaging techniques to identify the impact of sex and specific sex-related factors on brain networks and determine how those changes impact the spread of early-stage Alzheimer’s pathology in the brain. Brain networks can be measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Tau is a protein that builds up abnormally in Alzheimer’s disease and can be measured with positron emission tomography (PET) scanning. Our study combines all of these procedures, meaning that our participants have a total of three visits; an initial screening, an MRI visit with cognitive testing, and a PET visit. Ultimately, this work will fill a major and critical gap in our knowledge by helping us understand how sex-related factors lead to a more aggressive course of Alzheimer’s disease in women.
Music in Alzheimer’s Disease
The goal of the study is to understand how musical abilities are preserved in people with Alzheimer’s diseaseand to examine the positive effects of using music as part of daily life. We hope this research will lead to better, low-cost ways to support patients and caregivers. Participants will undergo cognitive testing and surveys.
This study includes two separate but related batteries that explore how people with Alzheimer’s disease experience and benefit from music.
The Music Perception Battery uses fun, game-like tasks to assess specific music abilities like pitch, rhythm, and musical memory. These tasks are short, engaging, and adapted to be accessible for people with Alzheimer’s disease. This battery involves a one-time in person visit.
The Music in Daily Life Battery uses brief smartphone surveys to track how music affects mood, sleep, and quality of life. This battery is entirely remote so participants can get involved from the comfort of their own home.
Parkinson’s, Dementia with Lewy bodies, and Psychosis
This study explores how neurodegenerative diseases affect the brain’s complex network of connections. Using tools like functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we’re aiming to uncover how brain activity patterns are disrupted in conditions such as dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Participants complete a total of two visits which includes an MRI, surveys, and tests of memory, attention, and other thinking abilities. The goal is to uncover how disruptions in brain networks relate to cognitive and psychiatric symptoms, and ultimately identify early changes in the brain that could help guide future diagnosis and treatment.
We are currently enrolling participants with Alzheimer’s disease, both amnestic and atypical, as well as healthy controls.
Visit our contact page here for inquiries!
Email fredericks.lab@yale.edu to get involved
