Study Overview

Purpose of the Study

Alzheimer’s disease is a national crisis, with more than 5 million Americans living with the disease and 16 million friends and family acting as caregivers. In addition, more than 200,000 individuals with Alzheimer’s are under age 65, meaning they have the early-onset form of the disease.

The Longitudinal Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Study (LEADS) explores the development of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and how it compares to the more common late-onset Alzheimer’s variant.

The study’s primary objectives are to improve the diagnostic precision for early-onset Alzheimer’s disease; to collect longitudinal data on the relationship between the clinical and biomarker progression of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and to define the genetic risk factors that associate with the unusually young onset of the disease.

Study Details

Your ongoing participation is critical to the success of LEADS. All participants will perform study activities at the beginning of their involvement. Those with memory problems will repeat those activities every year for four years, for a total of five visits; participants without memory problems will repeat every year for two years, for a total of three visits.

What to Expect

  • A brief physical and neurological exam
  • Cognitive testing
  • Biofluid sample collection (blood and optional spinal fluid samples)
  • Neuroimaging (MRI and PET scans)

Contact Information

If you are interested in this study, please contact Ryn Flaherty (Ryn.Flaherty@mgh.harvard.edu)

Additional Information

Dickerson Laboratory

Massachusetts General Hospital
149 13th Street
Charlestown, MA 02129
Phone: (617) 726-1728