Healthy Brain Initiative Project is funded by multiple federally funded and private grants:

• R01 NS101483-01A1 Reducing Disparities in Dementia and VCID Outcomes in a Multicultural Rural Population
• R01 AG071514-01 Multicultural Community Dementia Screening

HBI is an ongoing project that is actively recruiting community-dwelling independent adults with no complaints or mild concerns about their brain health. This project aims to develop a dementia prevention initiative using a precision medicine approach with personalized tailored interventions in deeply phenotyped individuals.

You must have a study partner (This is a person who knows you well such as a spouse, adult child, best friend who can answer questions about your memory and thinking abilities). The Study Partner can participate in-person, Zoom, or by phone. You also should be willing to do a blood draw or saliva collection, and undergo testing and imaging procedures (e.g., MRI and/or PET).

Contact:

Mary Lou Riccio, mxr2310@miami.edu

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults >25 years of age (with a target population of 50 and above). 
• Individuals with:  NO cognitive impairment ; subjective cognitive impairment ; mild cognitive impairment  ; any cause of dementia or neurodegenerative disease at the mild stage 
• Must have a study partner 
• Individuals recruited should be medically eligible to undergo MRI and/or PET however, those who are not, may still participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

Individuals who: 

• DO NOT consent to have their data or specimens stored 
• Have already been diagnosed with moderate or severe ADRD (CDR 2 or greater) or cannot contribute clinical, cognitive, behavioral, or functional data Have significant medical illness: Any significant systemic illness or unstable medical condition occurring during source cohort participation that could affect participation in imaging or obfuscate relevant cognitive outcomes. This can include (but is not limited to):
  • Metastatic cancer
  • Primary Axis I disorder (schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder) or Axis II personality disorder
  • Unstable diabetes or hypertension
  • Substance abuse within the past 5 years

This study is actively recruiting subjects and caregivers willing to participate as a dyad.  The subjects should have a clinical diagnosis of moderate to severe DLB. Participants should be willing to partake in an initial visit and a 6-month follow-up visit as a part of the study. 

Contact: Iris Cohen, irc25@med.miami.edu

D3 is currently looking for participants for early screening of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD) in adults aged 65 years and older. Study affiliated primary care practices and the research team will collaborate with each other in order to conduct ADRD screening on eligible patients. Patients enrolled in the study who screen positive for ADRD will be referred for further appropriate diagnostic testing if they are interested.

Contact: Shanell Disla, sxd1210@med.miami.edu

DLBC is currently recruiting participants with Lewy body dementia, Lewy body dementia/MCI (Mild cognitive impairment) or Parkinson’s disease dementia that will be followed over a period of five years with detailed clinical information, collection of biospecimens, and imaging data.  You will be asked to complete assessments that examine your thinking skills (e.g. memory, language), mood and sleeping behaviors. A study partner is required for enrollment into DLBC.

Contact: Claudia Moore, cpm129@med.miami.edu

DELA study is currently recruiting individuals to help test and validate a new measure of health literacy regarding Alzheimer’s disease.  It aims to assess the health literacy of brain health, memory loss, and dementia in older adults, in an effort to address the gap in understanding Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD). The DELA Study will help us determine how to better serve the community’s clinical and educational needs. 

Contact: Shanell Disla, sxd1210@med.miami.edu