Semantic Memory Networks in Early & Late Onset Alzheimer's Disease
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Multivariate pattern analysis of semantic representation and control in Early and Late Onset Alzheimer's disease patients using multimodal functional neuroimaging.
IRAS ID
308497
Contact name
Jason Taylor
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 30 days
Research summary
This project aims to study the degradation in memory for concepts (semantic memory) in late- and early-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Doing so may help explain why some AD patients show certain language and memory symptoms early in their progression. To investigate this, we will use two methods. Electroencephalography (EEG), where we place electrodes on the scalp to measure electrical fields produced by brain activity and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which uses MRI scans to measure changes in blood oxygenation in response to brain activity. We will use these methods to measure brain function as participants rest with their eyes open and when they perform a ‘semantic relatedness judgement’ task (deciding whether pairs of words have related or unrelated meanings). Participants will also complete a semantic control task (deciding which word of 3 options 'goes best' with a target word) in the EEG session only. We expect to find that brain responses associated with memory and language will be reduced in AD relative to healthy controls. In the future these methods could be used to inform the early detection and diagnosis of AD and help identify possible disease sub-groups. We will recruit 30 patients with AD (15 late age-of-onset patients [65+], 15 early-onset [<65]) from the Cerebral Function Unit at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust and the Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust. We will also recruit 15 age-matched healthy controls for a total of 45 participants. Each participant will attend 2 sessions. One MRI session (2 hours) at the NIHR Manchester Clinical Research Facility and one EEG session (2 hours) at the Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology (DNEP) EEG Lab, Zochonis Building (UoM main campus). These two sessions will occur within 2 weeks of one another.
REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
22/WA/0225
Date of REC Opinion
19 Aug 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion