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UPenn Observational Research Repository on Neurodegenerative Disease

University of Pennsylvania Centralized Observational Research Repository on Neurodegenerative Disease (UNICORN)

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04715399
Acronym
UNICORN
Enrollment
1000
Registered
2021-01-20
Start date
2020-05-29
Completion date
2070-05-30
Last updated
2026-01-22

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Alzheimer's Disease(AD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis(ALS), Corticobasal Syndrome(CBS), Familial Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (fFTLD), Frontotemporal Degeneration(FTD), Lewy Body Disease(LBD), Posterior Cortical Atrophy(PCA), Primary Progressive Aphasia(PPA), Progressive Supranuclear Palsy(PSP)

Brief summary

The aim of this study is to create a repository of both cross-sectional and longitudinal data, including cognitive, linguistic, imaging and biofluid biological specimens, for neurodegenerative disease research and treatment.

Detailed description

The Principal Investigator (PI) at the University of Pennsylvania seeks to better understand neurodegenerative diseases and is continually expanding research efforts and collaborations regarding the factors which may contribute to these illnesses. Investigators seek to better understand the basis of neurodegenerative conditions by creating a multimodal repository, including: clinical data such as demographic characteristics, vital signs and motor scales; cognitive and speech data; neuroimaging data; and biological specimens with associated biofluid biomarkers and genetic data. Investigators pursue acquiring these data from neurodegenerative disease patients, people at risk for neurodegenerative disease due to a family history, and unaffected adults. Targeted conditions include frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), primary progressive aphasia PPA), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal syndrome (CBS), familial frontotemporal lobar degeneration (fFTLD), non-amnestic variants of Alzheimer's disease including logopenic progressive aphasia and posterior cortical atrophy, and Lewy body disease. This study aims to collect clinical and cognitive data, imaging data, and biospecimen samples from people whose background can inform research and treatment for neurodegenerative diseases, and make these samples and data available to qualified researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and collaborating academic centers and industry partners.

Interventions

OTHERNo intervention

No intervention

Sponsors

University of Pennsylvania
Lead SponsorOTHER
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
CollaboratorNIH
United States Department of Defense
CollaboratorFED
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
CollaboratorNIH
Alzheimer's Association
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
OTHER

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

This protocol will include 3 groups of people: 1. People with a clinical diagnosis of a neurodegenerative disease. such as frontotemporal degeneration(FTD), primary progressive aphasia(PPA), Lewy body disease(LBD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS), progressive supranuclear palsy(PSP), corticobasal syndrome(CBS), posterior cortical atrophy(PCA), Alzheimer's disease(AD), Parkinson's disease(PD) 2. People with a family history of neurodegenerative disease who may or may not be symptomatic, and may or may not be mutation carriers such as familial frontotemporal lobar degeneration (fFTLD) or familial ALS, 3. People with no known neurological disease who will provide control data.

Exclusion criteria

* Anyone who is under the age of 18. * Anyone with a condition or in a situation which, in the Investigator's opinion, could confound the study findings or may interfere significantly with a person's participation, including but not limited to neurological, psychological and other medical conditions (such as cardiac, neurosurgical, infectious conditions). * Individual participants may be excluded from some, but not all, study procedures for safety reasons when they have a contraindication or at the discretion of the Investigator. For example, persons with metal implants which are not MRI-safe will not be able to take part in imaging, and those on blood thinning medications may not be able to take part in lumbar puncture. * Pregnant women; if a woman becomes pregnant during the study, research activities that may increase risk to the patient and the unborn fetus will be stopped until the end of pregnancy, at which point participation can be resumed.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Status of progression - changes in neuropsychological tests.This is a natural history study-participants are followed from date of enrollment until death, withdraw, or funding is no longer available, or until 600 months have passed.The changes of neuropsychological tests (well known cognitive measures such as: Naming test, CVLT, MoCA, Oral Trails, etc.) in neurodegenerative diseases over time.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Status of progression - changes in language processing.This is a natural history study-participants are followed from date of enrollment until death, withdraw, or funding is no longer available, or until 600 months have passed.The effect of changes in language processing (e.g. effortful speech, lexical-semantic representations) as categorized by impaired speech fluency, motor speech deficits and semantic memory deficits in neurodegenerative diseases over time.
Status of progression - changes in social disinhibition.This is a natural history study-participants are followed from date of enrollment until death, withdraw, or funding is no longer available, or until 600 months have passed.The effect of changes in social behavioral testing, which categorized by rule violation (social disinhibition) progression in neurodegenerative diseases over time.
Status of progression - changes in biofluids.This is a natural history study-participants are followed from date of enrollment until death, withdraw, or funding is no longer available, or until 600 months have passed.The change of disease status as categorized by biomarkers in biofluids in neurodegenerative diseases over time.
Status of progression -changes in NeuroimagingThis is a natural history study-participants are followed from date of enrollment until death, withdraw, or funding is no longer available, or until 600 months have passed.The progressive changes of images in multimodal neuroimaging techniques in neurodegenerative diseases over time.

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTEmily Xie
emily.xie@pennmedicine.upenn.edu215-746-2781
CONTACTDahlia Kamel
kamel.dahlia@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORDavid Irwin, MD

University of Pennsylvania

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026