PET Measures of CSF Clearance in Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease

The purpose of this study is to measure cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) clearance. CSF cushions the brain from impact and carries waste products from the brain to the bloodstream. This process is known as clearance. Researchers have considered that impaired clearance of amyloid (a protein) from the aging brain causes buildup of amyloid in the brain and plays a role in increased risk for Alzheimer's disease. However, until recently, there has not been a method to measure CSF clearance. This study will examine CSF clearance using positron emission tomography (PET) scanning, which creates images of structures in the body and their functioning. This study will also measure the amount of two proteins, tau and amyloid, in the brain. Tau and amyloid are proteins that build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. An investigational compound (tracer) called [18F]MK-6240 is injected into the blood prior to the scan in order to take images of the CSF clearance and measure tau protein in the brain. This tracer is considered investigational because it is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical use and is only being used for research purposes.

PET Measures of CSF Clearance in Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease

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