The Wandering Nerve: Gateway to Boost Alzheimer's Disease Related Cognitive Performance

Prior treatment

• Prior known diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia
• Use of investigational drugs or devices within 60 days prior to screening
• Major psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, major affective disorder in mid-life, or treatment with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) (Mild depression that is well treated with stable dose of selective serotonergic reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants will be allowed).
• Cataracts, glaucoma, detached retina's, eye surgery involving the muscles; droopy eyelids, penetrating eye wounds and use of anticholinergic eye drop use

Other illness

• Subjects with contraindications to MRI cannot participate (i.e., implanted metal including pacemakers, cerebral spinal fluid shunts, aneurysm clips, artificial heart valves, ear implants or metal/foreign objects in the eyes and those with a history of claustrophobia)
• Have a history of major head trauma defined as a loss of consciousness and/or trauma requiring hospitalization
• Active hematological, renal, pulmonary, endocrine or hepatic disorders.
• Active cancer, metabolic encephalopathy, infection
• Active cardiovascular disease, stroke, congestive or severe heart failure
• Huntington's disease, hydrocephalus or seizure disorder
• Severe valvular disorder (i.e. prosthetic valve or hemodynamically relevant valvular diseases)
• Sick sinus syndrome

Other

• Pregnant.
• Substance abuse within the past 2 years
• Evidence of cortical infarcts or strategically placed lacunar infarct (e.g. dorsal medial nucleus of thalamus). MRI evidence of mild white matter signal abnormalities will be allowed.
• Weight equal to or greater than 300 lbs (weight limit of the MRI table).
• Recurrent vaso-vagal syncopal episodes
• Unilateral or bilateral vagotomy
• Hypotension due to autonomic dysfunction

• Fluent in English
• Willingness and ability to comply with scheduled visits, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning, laboratory tests, and other study procedures.
• Subjects with well-controlled vascular risk factors, such as treated hypertension, treated hyperlipidemia or well controlled Type II diabetes will be included.
• Stable medications for at least 30 days.
• Mini Mental State Exam adjusted for age and education of 25 to 30, inclusive or a Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status score of at least 32
• Perform within 1.5 S.D. of age and education matched norms on the Logical Memory Paragraph Delayed Recall
• Geriatric Depression Scale \< 11
• Aged 60-85, inclusive
• Right-handed
• Reduced vision is allowed if it can be corrected with MRI-goggles