Mechanisms of Insulin Facilitation of Memory

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2014-04-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The study described in the present application will test the hypothesis that insulin mediated facilitation of memory in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is achieved through enhanced glutamatergic neurotransmission due to improvements in cerebral glucose metabolism. The effect of a single dose of intranasal insulin on memory and cerebral glutamate concentrations in adults with mild AD or amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), the presumed prodromal phase of AD will be studied. Successful completion of this study may set the stage for a larger-scale treatment trial of intranasal insulin for adults with memory disorders. However, the use of insulin in this manner at this point in time is purely experimental.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University of Texas at Austin
• Treatments: Insulin; Insulin Aspart; Insulin, Globin Zinc

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Clinical diagnosis of probable AD

• Age over 21

• Clinical Dementia Rating of 0.5 or 1.0

• Mini Mental State Exam Score>15

Exclusion Criteria:

• preexisting diabetes

• significant neurological disease that might affect cognition, other than AD, including stroke, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis

• severe head injury with loss of consciousness > 30 minutes or with permanent neurological sequelae

• significant medical illness or organ failure, such as uncontrolled hypertension or cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, liver disease, or kidney disease

• current use of anti-psychotic or anti-convulsant medications

• current or previous use of hypoglycemic agents or insulin

• MRI contraindications

• claustrophobia

• pregnancy