BioFinder - Brown Study (B3)

What is the B3 Study?

The Brain Biomarker Brown Study (or ‘B3’) study is observational. There is no treatment involved. Eligible participants will complete a set of questionnaires remotely and will then undergo several procedures in-person during an initial 4-hour visit at Butler Hospital. These procedures include: a medical exam, memory and thinking tests, questionnaires about mood and ability, and a blood draw. There are also optional procedures that may be offered at a later date, such as brain scans and retinal imaging.

What is the purpose of the B3 Study?

B3 is a study in collaboration with Brown University to learn more about detecting and diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease using biomarkers of disease and disease risk. A biomarker is a process in the body that can tell us something about a disease state. For example, a biomarker of heart disease is cholesterol. Amyloid and tau are proteins in the brain that are biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease.

Eligibility

The B3 study aims to enroll up to 300 participants ages 50 through 89 years old at Butler Hospital’s Memory and Aging Program. The study will enroll participants with normal memory, as well as people with mild to moderate changes in memory or thinking abilities.

If you are interested in learning more about the B3 study, please call (401) 455-6402 or send an e-mail to memory@butler.org.