RecruitingPhase not listed

Crownlands Observing Progression With Neurons Study

Crownlands Observing Progression With Neurons I (CROWN-I)

Who can join

As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.

Age
55 Years and older
Sex
All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Compensation
Not stated

Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

What to expect

No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.

What participation involves

Not stated in the study description — ask the study team about visits and procedures.

Compensation
Not stated
  • Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
  • Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
  • Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
  • Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.

About this study

In plain language

This study looks at genes and other tiny parts of the body to learn how Alzheimer's disease differs among people and gets worse over time. It is for adults age 55 or older with normal memory, mild cognitive impairment (memory or thinking problems), or Alzheimer's disease. Participants give samples and complete tests online and in person.

The CROWN-I Study is an observational study to learn about molecular features of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The primary objective is to identify the molecular and genetic modules that differentiate patient subtypes and predict progression of AD. Participants will visit clinical sites to donate samples multiple times and perform virtual and in-person clinical assessments.

Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.

Eligibility

Who can join

  • Be age 55 or older and give consent, or have an allowed decision-maker give consent for you.
  • You and your study partner must speak English well enough for tests without an interpreter. You must see and hear well enough for testing; glasses and hearing aids are allowed.
  • Not be pregnant or breastfeeding. Medicines must be stable for at least 4 weeks, and a depression screening score must be below 6.
  • Have a study partner who has known you for at least 12 months, has about 10 or more hours of contact each week, and will join visits and answer questions.
  • Be willing and able to attend all visits, have the inside of your nose brushed for samples, take smell tests, and give blood.
  • Normal-memory group: Neither you nor your partner reports thinking problems. You must have no past or current diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or dementia, no current brain or mental health disease, and meet memory and thinking test cutoffs.
  • Mild cognitive impairment group: You or your partner reports memory or thinking problems. You must meet memory and thinking test cutoffs but still manage daily life well enough not to have dementia.
  • Alzheimer's group: A specialist must confirm likely Alzheimer's disease. You must meet test cutoffs, have trouble with daily tasks, and have a partner confirm worsening thinking for at least 6 months.

Who can't join

  • Have another serious brain or nerve disorder, such as Parkinson's disease, another type of dementia, seizures, a brain tumor, or lasting problems from a head injury.
  • Have ever had schizophrenia; have had a major active or unstable mental illness in the past 6 months; or have had behavior problems in the past 3 months that could prevent participation.
  • Have a current moderate or severe substance use disorder, or an alcohol use disorder within the past 24 months.
  • Have cancer being treated or cancer with expected survival under 30 months. Exceptions include non-melanoma skin cancer and localized prostate cancer being watched without treatment.
  • Take part in another study that gives memory and thinking tests more than once a year.
  • Have nose surgery or nose structure problems that prevent brushing on both sides, a breathing infection now or in the past 2 weeks, or an allergy or bad reaction to the study's numbing or stuffy-nose medicines.
  • Have another health condition or abnormal lab result that the study doctor believes makes participation unsuitable.
  • Normal-memory group only: Have ever used donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine, memantine, or antibody treatments that target amyloid, a protein linked to Alzheimer's disease.

Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.

Official eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria: * Informed consent provided by the participant or, where applicable, Legally Authorized Representative (LAR) or other substitute decision-maker where permitted by applicable law, as described in Section 8.2. * Male or female, age ≥ 55 years at Screening. * Fluency of subject and study partner in English sufficient to complete all cognitive and self-report assessments without interpreter assistance. * Adequate visual and auditory acuity (with correction permitted) sufficient to complete neuropsychological testing. * Not pregnant or lactating. * Medications stable ≥ 4 weeks before screening. * GDS-15 \< 6 (i.e., 0-5 inclusive; no current significant depression). * Available study partner who has known the participant for ≥ 12 months, maintains \~10+ hours per week of in-person or telephone contact, and is willing to attend study visits and complete informant-rated assessments. * Willing to complete olfactory brushing, smell testing, and venous blood draw. * Willing to commit to baseline and follow-up visits across study duration. * In the opinion of the Investigator, able to comply with the protocol-specified visit schedule and procedures for the full study duration. Exclusion Criteria: * Current or active clinically significant neurological disorder (in the opinion of the Investigator) other than the disorders in the study arms, including but not limited to: * Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, Huntington's disease, prion disease, multi-infarct dementia, normal pressure hydrocephalus, brain tumor, seizure disorder, subdural hematoma, multiple sclerosis, significant head trauma with persistent deficits, or known structural brain abnormalities. * Active or unstable major psychiatric illness (DSM-5 schizophrenia spectrum, bipolar I, or severe major depressive disorder with active suicidality) within 6 months prior to Screening; history of schizophrenia at any time. * Psychotic features, agitation, or behavioral problems within the last 3 months that could interfere with protocol compliance. * Current substance use disorder (DSM-5 moderate or severe), or alcohol use disorder within 24 months prior to Screening. * Active malignancy under treatment, or malignancy with expected survival \< 30 months (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer and localized prostate cancer on active surveillance). * Participation in studies collecting neuropsychological measures more than once per year. * Presence of previous nasal surgery or other anatomical abnormalities that could interfere with the procedure on both sides of the nose, at the discretion of the clinician administering the Olfactory Brushing. * Active respiratory infection or recent history of respiratory infection within the past two weeks. * Known allergy or adverse reaction to topical anesthetics or decongestants used in the study (e.g., lidocaine, tetracaine, oxymetazoline). * Any other medical or psychiatric condition or lab abnormality that, in the opinion of the Investigator, might preclude participation or render the participant unsuitable for study enrollment. Cognitively Normal (CN) Additional Inclusion Criteria (CN) * No subjective cognitive complaint reported by participant AND no cognitive -complaint reported by study partner. * No current or prior clinical diagnosis of MCI, Alzheimer's disease, or any other dementia, and no current clinical diagnosis of a neurological or neuropsychiatric disease. * MMSE score ≥ 27 / 30 at Screening. * Global Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) = 0 at Screening. * CDR Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) = 0 at Screening. * Performance within 1.0 standard deviation of demographically adjusted norms on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) Delayed Recall. Additional Exclusion Criteria (CN) * Current or prior use of cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine) or memantine for any indication. * Current or prior use of anti-amyloid monoclonal antibody disease-modifying therapy (aducanumab, lecanemab, donanemab, or any investigational anti-amyloid mAb). Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) Additional Inclusion Criteria (MCI) * Subjective cognitive complaint reported by participant OR partner-verified memory complaint reported by study partner. * MMSE score ≥ 24 and ≤ 30 at Screening. * Global CDR = 0.5 at Screening. * CDR-SB ≥ 0.5 and \< 3 at Screening; CDR Memory Box ≥ 0.5. * Performance ≥ 1.5 standard deviations below demographically adjusted norms on the RAVLT Delayed Recall (or equivalent episodic memory criterion per the Petersen / NIA-AA MCI framework). * Preserved general functional ability such that the participant does not meet criteria for dementia (i.e., does not meet AD criteria in Section 7.3). Alzheimer's Disease (AD) Additional Inclusion Criteria (AD) * Confirmed clinical diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease by a qualified specialist (cognitive neurologist, geriatric psychiatrist, or equivalent), consistent with NIA-AA 2011 (McKhann et al.) or NIA-AA 2018 Research Framework biological criteria. * MMSE score ≥ 16 and ≤ 26 at Screening. * Global CDR ≥ 1 at Screening. * CDR-SB ≥ 3 at Screening. * CDR Memory Box score ≥ 0.5 at Screening. * Partner-verified history of progressive cognitive decline of ≥ 6 months duration. * Functional impairment consistent with dementia, as documented on the CDR Functional Domains (Community Affairs, Home \& Hobbies, Personal Care); participant able to complete protocol.

Study sites (1)

MD