Note: This study is currently only recruiting patients in the hospital.
If you are interested in being notified if this study begins recruiting from the general population, please use the 'I Am Interested' button below.
Discovering Pathways to the Healthy Aging brain
Enrollment for this study is expected to close on Sunday, January 10, 2027
Overview
What we are studying
We are the Brain Aging and Dementia (BAnD) Laboratory at Mass. General Hospital directed by Dr. David Salat. Our research examines factors that contribute to memory, thinking, and brain health with aging and age-related disease.
We are establishing a Research Registry as a database comprised of individuals who indicate interest in research studies related to Brain Aging and Dementia. We may ask you to complete an online pre-screening form as a part of this study. The purpose of the Registry is to maintain the information collected in the pre-screening form for research and assessing study eligibility. We hope that by enrolling in the Research Registry we will be able to more easily determine if you are eligible for other research studies. These other research studies are about brain health with aging and age-related disease. We look at how various health factors contribute to changes in the brain and evaluate these changes through different types of non-invasive brain imaging.
Participants who meet certain eligibility criteria may be invited to participate in the in-person Research Registry component, where we would collect some additional screening information involving a saliva sample, blood draw, medical history and physical, and cognitive tests. This portion of the registry would be compensated.
Why it is important
We are maintaining a Research Registry for recruitment and research purposes. We are always in need of participants for our studies and the Research Registry allows us to reach individuals that may be eligible for some of our research studies about brain health with aging and age-related diseases. It also allows us to collect baseline data on eligible participants for different studies they may be invited to participate in.
What we hope to accomplish
By establishing a Research Registry we hope to connect eligible individuals to more research studies in a more efficient and convenient way!
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Principal Investigator
Project Contact
Click I Am Interested "I Am Interested" "I Am Interested" to get started. If you have questions, contact:
Lauren Antonucci
Gayathri Vijayaraghavan
Who can participate
While we encourage adults of all ages (18+) to apply, many of our research projects are seeking individuals aged 36 and above. Follow this link to complete the pre-screen survey: MGH Brain Study
Healthy Volunteers
Healthy volunteers are eligible for this study
Healthy volunteers are welcomed into the Registry!
Who cannot participate
Individuals under the age of 18 years
What you may be asked to do
You will be asked a series of pre-screening questions about your general health so that we may assess your eligibility for other studies. You may be asked to provide a saliva sample for genotyping. For this, you would be compensated $25. If you are eligible for future studies, we may ask you to come to the lab for a brief in-person visit (about 3 hours). This visit may involve a blood draw, medical history and physical, cognitive testing, NIRS monitoring, urine collection, and genetic testing. For this visit, you would be compensated up to $175.
You can complete the Registry pre-screen survey and cognitive assessment by going to MGH Brain Study.
Project activities may include:
- Survey
- Blood draw
- Personal health tracking
- Office visit
- Registry
- Biosample (e.g., saliva, urine, or stool)
Estimated Time Commitment
3 hours over 1 day
What You May Get
There is no direct benefit to you and your participation is completely voluntary. Should you participate in the in-person registry, you will be compensated up to $175. If you are enrolled in a future BAnD study through the registry, you will be compensated for the time and effort you provide to the future study.
Location
A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging
149 13th Street Charlestown, MA
Travel
- Accessible by public transportation
- Parking available
- Parking reimbursed
- Local travel reimbursed
Travel and Parking Details
Should you be invited to participate with our lab, you will be asked to visit our center located at the A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, 149 13th Street in Charlestown, MA. There is a parking garage attached to the facility, and parking will be validated. We offer transportation services to and from our center for local participants. Other transportation may also be reimbursed.
Additional Information
Funding Source
- NIH or Other Federal