UCSF Brain Aging Network for Cognitive Health

Brain Aging Network for Cognitive Health (BRANCH) 

• Purpose: Explores biological underpinnings of cognitive aging in older adults. The study aims to gain a better understanding of what healthy aging is and identify the earliest changes associated with degenerative brain disease. 
• Study Progress: As of 2020 we have enrolled 760 participants with some up to 10 years of longitudinal data collected.
• Enrollment in this study is often a jumping-off point for participants to get involved in various other research studies. 
• Study Contact:  Valentina Diaz

Activities for Aging Neurogenesis (ActAN) Study

• Purpose: An intervention-based study looking at the relationship between lifestyle factors and protein markers of neural functioning.
• Study Progress: As of Summer 2020, 50 participants enrolled. 
• Study Contact:  coty Chen

Aging and Cognition 

• Purpose:The overarching goal of this study is to better understand how various biological (protein aggregation, cerebrovascular injury, inflammation) and lifestyle pathways (exercise, sleep, and diet) interact to influence brain aging trajectories. 
• Study Progress: As of Summer 2020, 268 participants currently enrolled.
• Study Contact:  miwa tucker

Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (MarkVCID)

• Purpose: Study aims to uncover biomarkers for the small vessel diseases of the brain that produce vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID).  
• Study Progress: We are currently in our third year of this study. We have enrolled 58 participants in this phase of our study and are still recruiting eligible particpants and bringing enrolled participants back in for their yearly follow-ups. 
• Study Contact:  SAVANNAH HALLGARTH

Sleep and Cognition in Older Adults 

• Purpose: This study investigates whether sleep quality alters performance on cognitive tasks in older adults and whether this relationship changes with mild to moderate cognitive impairments.
• Study Progress: As of Summer 2020, we have co-enrolled 101 particpants in sleep studies. 
• Study Contact:  Miwa tucker

Active Mind

• Purpose: This is a pilot trial investigating if computerized training exercises (sometimes called "brain games") can improve the daily functioning of older adults.
• Study Progress: Study is open for enrollment! 
• Study Contact:  LANA CALLIES

Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (MarkVCID)

• Purpose: Study aims to uncover biomarkers for the small vessel diseases of the brain that produce vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID).  
• Study Progress: We are currently in our third year of this study. We have enrolled 58 participants in this phase of our study and are still recruiting eligible particpants and bringing enrolled participants back in for their yearly follow-ups.
• Study Contact:  savannah hallgarth

Positron emission tomography (PET) Imaging in an Aging Population

• Purpose: Aims to identify the relationship between amyloid protein aggregation in the brain and brain structure and function.
• Study Progress: As of 2020, we have collected 150 amyloid PET scans and 15 tau PET scans. 
• Study Contact:  Carina Lo