University of Pittsburgh

Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center

The University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) is one of the nation’s leading research centers specializing in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders.

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Advancing Dementia Care National Alzheimer’s Buddies’ Fourth Virtual Symposium

Are you curious about how experts in the field are working to advance dementia care?

Former KDKA-TV personality Jon Burnett hopes donating his brain to science will help researchers understand CTE

Former weather anchorman, Jon Burnett, is facing a major health challenge and recently received a diagnosis of suspected chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

‘We’re still learning’: Diving deeper into Pitt’s National Sports Brain Bank

A team of researchers is quietly working on a new project that could shed more light on the correlation between contact sports and brain injuries.

The grayest of gray matters

What do we really know about Alzheimer’s, and what are the most promising ways to approach the disease? Pitt is building a critical mass of researchers in the search for answers. "Help wanted.” The post-pandemic plea, now commonplace on the doors of restaurants and...

FDA Converts Novel Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment to Traditional Approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration converted Leqembi (lecanemab-irmb), indicated to treat adult patients with Alzheimer’s Disease, to traditional approval following a determination that a confirmatory trial verified clinical benefit. Leqembi is the first amyloid...

One Barrier to Alzheimer’s Diagnoses Could Crumble with Pitt’s Discovery of a Blood Biomarker

Blood-based tests are relatively cheaper and less burdensome to undergo than the alternative imaging tests

National Sports Brain Bank to launch at the University of Pittsburgh

NFL Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis pledges donation to Pitt’s new National Sports Brain Bank

Lilly’s Donanemab Significantly Slowed Cognitive and Functional Decline in Phase 3 Study of Early Alzheimer’s Disease

Nearly half (47%) of the participants on donanemab (compared to 29% on placebo) had no clinical progression at 1 year (defined as no decline in CDR-SB)

FDA Grants Accelerated Approval for Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Leqembi (lecanemab-irmb) via the Accelerated Approval pathway for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Victor Villemagne, MD, Selected for Prestigious 2022 Aging Mind Foundation Award

Dr. Victor Villemagne, MD, a Professor of Psychiatry and Co-Leader of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s Neuroimaging Core has been awarded the prestigious 2022 Aging Mind Foundation Award.

Can Melatonin Help Prevent Neuron Damage Associated With Dementia?

The Clear Thoughts Foundation (CTF), a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit dedicated to fighting dementia, has awarded $200,000 to co-investigators as part of the CTF Consortium to begin preclinical research on how melatonin might affect dementia-related processes in the brain.

Department of Aging Convenes Alzheimer’s Researchers from Pitt, Penn to Share Prevention and Caregiving Models

The Department of Aging convened a gathering of Alzheimer’s Disease researchers from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh in a daylong forum to share and discuss their latest work in the areas of prevention, treatment and caregiving.

Frequently asked questions about the newly approved Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm™ (aducanumab)

Is this drug a cure for Alzheimer’s disease? No. This medication, marketed under the name Aduhelm™, is not a cure. It does not reverse damage already caused by Alzheimer’s disease, nor does it completely stop the disease. Aducanumab works to slow the progression of...

Interested in volunteering for research on Alzheimer’s, related dementias, and cognitive health?

Alzheimer's Prevention Registry Get information and updates about participating in future Alzheimer’s prevention trials. Alzheimer's Prevention Registry » Alzheimer's Prevention Trials (APT) Webstudy Enroll to track memory and thinking skills, and learn about...

NIA Launches New Website

NIA is pleased to announce www.Alzheimers.gov, a new website designed to educate and support people whose lives are touched by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The website serves as a federal government portal for dementia information and resources.

Care Interventions for People Living With Dementia and Their Caregivers

The aging of the U.S. population and the concurrent rise in the number of adults living with dementia underscore the urgent need for a systematic review of the available evidence for care interventions for PLWD and their formal and informal caregivers. The National Institute on Aging commissioned such a review from the Evidence-based Practice Center Program at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Effect of COVID-19 on Alzheimer’s Clinical Research & the Needs of Patients & Their Caregivers

In this video Dr. Oscar Lopez provides an update on how patient care is being approached at UPMC during COVID-19 as well as the current state of clinical research at the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC).

Seeking individuals with Alzheimer’s disease who experience agitation

https://youtu.be/bQJ3nAtC5lY The Escitalopram for Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease (S-CitAD) study is a 12-week trial of escitalopram taking place at the University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. The S-CitAD Study is looking for volunteers who:...

WQED Documentary “Stolen Years” Highlights Research Being Conducted at the University of Pittsburgh ADRC

Nearly two-thirds of Americans living with Alzheimer’s are women. Sixty percent of all Alzheimer’s caregivers are women.

BRiTE Wellness Program aims to help seniors with mild memory problems

The BRiTE (Brain Training and Exercise) Center mission is to promote the overall health and wellness of older adults who want to optimize their level of cognitive, social, and physical functioning.

Longstanding Family of Pitt Research Participants Featured in New Book

Eight years ago Niki Kapsambelis wrote a feature in the ADRC Fall Newsletter about the DeMoe family, a family of ADRC research participants with a rare genetic version of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) is one of the nation’s leading research centers specializing in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. Through outpatient evaluations, participants and their families receive state-of-the-art diagnostic assessments and contribute to the scientific study of Alzheimer’s disease.

ADRC Memory Evaluation and Participation in the Research Center

Zinna has been participating since 2014

“I was looking to find out all I could about dementia, to understand what my dad was going through. I wanted to find out whether he had Alzheimer ‘s or another kind of dementia.”

read more from Zinna and other ADRC volunteers…

Our memory evaluation is an extensive diagnostic evaluation of individuals with suspected Alzheimer’s disease and other types of memory loss and/or cognitive impairment. The professionals at the ADRC understand that this is a stressful process for all and assure that individuals will be treated with sensitivity and respect.

AHEAD Study

Description: The AHEAD Study is aimed at preventing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia in cognitively normal people who may be at risk with intermediate or elevated levels of amyloid in their brain when measured by a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan. Visit AHEADSTUDY.ORG for more information.

Study Length: 4 years

Study Requirements:

  • 55 to 80 years of age
  • Normal thinking and memory abilities
  • Willing to learn your amyloid results (intermediate, elevated, or not elevated) which may relate to your risk of developing AD dementia
  • Have a trusted family member or friend (a “study partner”) who can accompany you to a few key study visits and be available by phone to answer questions about your memory and thinking.
  • Willing and able to receive regular intravenous (IV) infusions (once or twice a month) of the investigational study drug (BAN2401) or a placebo for up to 4 years

Contact:

Paige Tacey at 412-692-2717 or taceyp@upmc.edu or

Thomas Baumgartner at 412-692-2716 or baumgartnertc@upmc.edu  or

MaryAnn Oakley at 412-692-2721 or oakleym@upmc.edu

Dementia with Lewy Bodies Consortium

Description: The purpose of this study is to collect clinical information, brain imaging scans, and biological samples from people that have dementia with Lewy bodies. This information will help researchers improve the diagnosis, care, and treatment of patients with this disease.

Study Length: 5 years

Study Requirements:
Age 40-90
Diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia (DLB) or high likelihood
A study partner who will accompany you to all study visits

Contact:
MaryAnn Oakley at 412-692-2721 or oakleym@upmc.edu

FORAging – Facilitating Optimal Routines in Aging

Description: This study is looking at ways to minimize problems with everyday tasks by using a new strategy.

Study Length: 12 months

Study Requirements:
60 years of age AND
Having difficulty managing daily tasks

Contact:
MaryAnn Oakley at 412-692-2721 or oakleym@upmc.edu

ACE Study

Description: The main purpose of ACE is to determine if taking Equol, a plant-based supplement, could slow the progression of stiffening of the arteries, small blood vessel disease in the brain and memory decline.

Study Length: 2 years

Study Requirements:

  • African-American or Caucasian men and women
  • Ages 65 to 85 years old

To learn more please call: 800-872-3653 or e-mail: ACETRIAL@pitt.edu

Study Brochure ›

ADRC Video Spotlight

ADRC participant, Jean, shares her experience at Pitt’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

Pathways Newsletter

The Fall/Winter 2023 edition of the Pathways Newsletter is now available.