Plain-English translation of NCT04579120 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated · Translation generated · How we translate trials
Read our Alzheimer Disease research guide →Researchers are studying how the brain changes with healthy aging and early Alzheimer's disease using advanced imaging techniques. The study uses two investigational radioactive tracers—[11C] Pittsburgh Compound B (PIB) and F-18 AV-1451 (Flortaucipir)—that help visualize amyloid and tau proteins in the brain, which may be related to memory loss. These tracers are not yet FDA-approved but are being used to help scientists better understand brain changes.
Scientists need better ways to detect early brain changes in Alzheimer's disease, especially to understand how the disease develops differently across different populations. This study helps researchers learn whether these imaging tracers can reliably identify the protein deposits associated with memory loss.
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Participants will come in for brain imaging appointments where they receive an injection of one of the radioactive tracers, then undergo PET, MRI, and possibly CT scans to visualize protein deposits in the brain. The scans involve lying still inside imaging machines for extended periods. Researchers are enrolling about 650 people total, including both African American and non-Hispanic White participants, to understand whether the imaging works equally well across different populations.
AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 19, 2026 · Not medical advice
United States
Sponsor
Tammie L. S. Benzinger, MD, PhD
Enrollment target
~650 participants
Started
September 2021
Primary completion
November 2027
Age range
18 Years and older
Last updated on clinicaltrials.gov in June 2026.
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Central contact
Kelley Jackson, BA
Washington University School of Medicine
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