RecruitingNot ApplicableNCT06880510

The Locus Coeruleus, Norepinephrine and Cognitive Aging

Sponsor

Cornell University

Enrollment

150 participants

Start Date

Jun 1, 2025

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Conditions

Alzheimer Disease

Summary

The locus coeruleus (LC) has recently been identified as one of the earliest sites of damage in AD with pathological lesions appearing as early as the mid-20s. In this study, the investigators use a variety of techniques including structural MRI, functional MRI, pupillometry, and transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation to assess the health of the LC and its relation to easily measurable peripheral variables.

Eligibility

Min Age: 18 Years

Inclusion Criteria6

+ years of age
Able to speak and understand English
Hearing and vision correctable to normal or near-normal
Willing and able to use a touchscreen
Willing and able to use a keyboard and mouse
Willing and able to undergo a MRI scan at the Cornell MRI Facility lasting approximately 90 minutes.

Exclusion Criteria6

Moderate or severe brain injury
Serious neurological disorders such as epilepsy
Recent concussion
Colorblindness
Use of street drugs
Cardiac arrhythmias

Interventions

DEVICEt-VNS transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulator

An investigator will clip the the transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulator (taVNS) to the outer ear, and apply electrical current to modulate the activity of the vagus nerve. During this process, the investigator will monitor pupil size and heart rate to determine whether either of these variables is affected by vagus nerve stimulation.