Tau Biomarkers in Late-onset Psychosis (LOP)
Hallucinations or delusions that occur for the first time in older people with no acute medical problems or mood symptoms may be related to impending dementia. This study aims to confirm this hypothesis using novel blood biomarkers and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging tracers, as well as non-invasive testing.
• Male or female, aged 65-85 years.
• Diagnosis of late-onset non-affective primary psychotic disorder consistent with either very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis (VLOSP, International Late-Onset Schizophrenia Group consensus criteria, Howard et al., 2000) or delusional disorder (DSM-5 criteria)
• Caregiver available to provide collateral history and participation in informant-based ratings (NPI,CDR)
• Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) score of 0 or 0.5.
• Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≥ 24 and at the screening visit.
• Normal memory function (to rule-out mild cognitive impairment, MCI) documented by scoring within 1.5 SD range in education adjusted norms of the Logical Memory II subscale
• Ability to hear 500, 1000 and 1500 Hz bilaterally on a hearing evaluation (hearing aids permitted).