Healthy Aging
Conditions
Brief summary
data collection based on this study will allow us to collect and calibrate neurophysiological and cognitive data collected from in-ear EEG recordings of the initial baseline/reference population in Swiss healthy individuals that can be used as reference to data collected in other populations, for instance, to be compared with any other similar dataset in the future (e.g., Alzheimer patient cohorts).
Detailed description
There is solid neurophysiological evidence indicating that abnormal brain rhythms during sleep and noradrenergic dysfunction are core components of cognitive decline and AD onset, and their related pathophysiology. Crucially, irregularities in these neurophysiological mechanisms appear to occur in an asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic stage, but their potential to identify susceptibility for triggering neurodegeneration has yet to be established. Thus, the possibility to identify such risk biomarkers in humans will require the acquisition of large-scale data related direct or indirect measurements of these physiological signatures. A possible key source to obtain such large-scale data related to sleep and noradrenergic function is the assessment of electroencephalographic recordings through non-obtrusive, low-cost, and reliable wearable sensors, alongside the use of advanced neuro-computational algorithms that link brain function and behavioral outcomes of LC function via pupilometry measurements.
Interventions
OTHERThis is an observational study
This is an observational study
Sponsors
Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Study design
Observational model
OTHER
Time perspective
CROSS_SECTIONAL
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
20 Years to 75 Years
Inclusion criteria
Participants fulfilling all of the following inclusion criteria are eligible for the study: * Informed Consent as documented by signature * Healthy young adults group: Age range 20-40 * Healthy older adults group: Age range 50-75 * Normal physical and mental status: * Diseases or lesions of the nervous system (acute or residual included neurological and psychiatric diseases) * Clinically significant concomitant disease states (e.g., renal failure, hepatic dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, etc.) * Sleep disorders, known or suspected (e.g. Insomnia, sleep apnoea, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy, etc.) * mini mental state examination (MMSE) score \> 24) * Native German speaker or good understanding of German Participants are not eligible if the fulfil the following
Exclusion criteria
* Direct relatives have not been diagnosed with neuropathological conditions associated with any form of dementia (e.g., AD, MCI) * Participation in another study with investigational drug/therapy/interventions within the 30 days preceding and during the present study (start date adapted accordingly) * Shift-work (e.g. work times 12am-5am) * Suspected drug- or medication abuse, or on-label sleep medication use during time of the study * Infection/disease of auditory canal or ear drum that could worsen with EAR-DREAM application, or allergies to in-Ear electrode materials (e.g., silver) * Pregnancy (not safety related, but relevant for data interpretation procedures given that pregnancy can result in sleep patterns that are different from the baseline measurements that we intend to characterize) Additional non-medical
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Density of slow-wave activity (SWA) readout from in-ear EEG recordings | 7 nights of at-home recordings | in-ear EEG will be monitored during 7 nights, the aggregated density of SWA over the 7 nights will be compared in both groups (young vs elderly) |
| Relative phasic pupilometry responses in exploration vs exploration states in the cognitive task | 1 experimental session | latent variables of the LC-noradrenergic neuro-computational model based on our cognitive task will indicate the state in wich the participant is (exploration vs exploitation). The relative phasic pupilometry responses in these two states will serve as a proxy of the degree of LC-noradrenergic reaction to these states. The relative reactivity will be compared in both groups (young vs elderly) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Power changes of wake EEG brain activity in close vs open eyes condition | 7 days of at-home recordings | We will compute the relative changes of EEG power in close vs open eyes. The relative changes will be compared in both groups (young vs elderly) |
| Relative time-frequency decomposition responses in exploration vs exploration states in the cognitive task measured with EEG | 1 experimental session | We will evaluate the the differences spatio-temporal changes in the power spectrum depending on the state in wich the participant is (exploration vs exploitation) in the cognitive task. The relative changes will be compared in both groups (young vs elderly) |
Countries
Switzerland
Contacts
Primary ContactSilvia Hofer, MSc.
Outcome results
None listed