MGH Sleep and Aging Study

• Principal Investigator: Bradford Dickerson, MD; Patrick Purdon, PhD, Michael Prerau, PhD
• Sponsors: National Institute of Health (NIH)
• Conditions Studied: Normal Aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), Clinically diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

The MGH Sleep and Aging Study is a research project aimed at understanding the age-related changes in brain activity during sleep and their quantitative relationships with gold-standard biomarkers of AD pathology – amyloid and tau – on Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans. The goal of the study is to develop noninvasive low-cost biomarkers using sleep EEG for preclinical diagnosis and longitudinal tracking of AD.

In this study, we are also developing new signal processing tools to better quantify and interpret sleep EEG rhythms in the aging population. These methodological advancements can help enable the future use of sleep and resting-state EEG in research and clinical trials studying AD.

Participation in the sleep study requires the completion of three in-person visits, which include: 1) two overnight stays at the MGH Sleep Center, 2) a 3T-MRI scan of the brain, and 3) two PET scans of the brain. Certain portions of the study visits can be done remotely if needed. In addition, there is a neuropsychological assessment session that can be done remotely if needed. Additional information about the study can be found at: https://www.sleepandaging.org

• Evaluation of memory and thinking skills
• Questionnaires for participant
• Two overnight stays at the MGH Sleep Center with an EEG cap and additional leads applied
• MRI scan of the brain
• Two PET scans of the brain
• Blood Draw

If you are interested in this study, please contact the study email (purdonlab@mgh.harvard.edu)