Quantify Glymphatic Flow
An Imaging Tool To Quantify Glymphatic Flow
St Joseph Hospital
The brain has a natural “cleaning system” that clears waste, but this process slows down with age and may contribute to diseases like Alzheimer’s. To better understand this problem, it is important to track how fluid moves and clears waste from the brain. Current methods are either invasive or not very precise, which makes them difficult to use, especially in patients. This study uses advanced imaging (hybrid PET/MRI) to non-invasively measure how quickly this fluid clears from the brain. This method could help identify reduced clearance early and monitor how treatments or lifestyle changes improve brain health.
Healthy Adults
18 years and older
no other inclusion criteria
Who can participate in this study?
Healthy Participants over 18 years old
Participants will be excluded if they have - History of head or eye injury involving metallic or foreign fragments - Implanted electronic medical devices (e.g. pacemaker) - Metal braces or other incompatible metal implants - Severe heart disease, including arrhythmia - Diagnosed cardiovascular or cerebrovascular conditions such as: Coronary artery disease, Heart rhythm disorders, Stroke, Carotid artery stenosis - known adverse reaction to alcohol (e.g. hives, difficulty breathing) - Pregnancy or presence of an intrauterine device (IUD)
What is involved?
The study will be conducted on 3T hybrid PET/MRI scanner at St. Joseph’s Hospital, London, Ontario. The PET procedure involves of an intravenous injection of a radiolabeled carbon tracer followed by 60-minutes of data collection to capture the clearance from the brain. Simultaneous MRI measurements will be performed while you are at rest. The expected time in the scanner is ~ 70 minutes. This study is designed as a single-visit protocol and does not require any follow-up.
Principal Investigator & Posting Dates
Principal Investigator:Keith St Lawrence
Study posted on: August 10, 2026
Recruitment end date: July 31, 2027
Who can I contact to learn more about this study?
Sign Up for Western's Global Cognitive Neuroscience Registry
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