A Study of Brain Aging in Vietnam War Veterans

Exclusion Criteria

• •General (applies to each cohort):
• •MCI/dementia;
• •History of psychosis or bipolar affective disorder;
• •History of alcohol or substance abuse/dependence within the past 5 years (by DSM-IV-TR criteria) or a prior prolonged history of abuse;
• •MRI-related exclusions: aneurysm clips, metal implants that are determined to be unsafe for MRI; and/or claustrophobia;
• •Contraindications for lumbar puncture, PET scan, or other procedures in this study;
• •Any major medical condition must be stable for at least 4 months prior to enrollment. These include but are not limited to clinically significant hepatic, renal, pulmonary, metabolic or endocrine disease, cancer, HIV infection and AIDS, as well as cardiovascular disease, including:
• •* cardiac surgery or myocardial infarction within the last 4 weeks;
• •* unstable angina;
• •* acute decompensated congestive heart failure or class IV heart failures;
• •* current significant cardiac arrhythmia or conduction disturbance particularly those resulting in ventricular fibrillation, or causing syncope, or near syncope;
• •* Uncontrolled high blood pressure
• •Seizure disorder or any systemic illness affecting brain function during the past 5 years will be exclusionary;
• •Clinical evidence of stroke;
• •Have a history of relevant severe drug allergy or hypersensitivity;
• •Subjects with current clinically significant unstable medical comorbidities, as indicated by history or physical exam, that pose a potential safety risk to the subject.
• •Exclusionary criteria applied to TBI/PTSD (outlined below) will be applied to controls.
• •Presence of PTSD by SCID-I for DSM-IV-TR criteria, or a CAPS score of \>30 (Both current and/or a history of PTSD will be excluded).
• •Documented or self report history of mild/moderate severe TBI;
• •Any history of head trauma associated with injury onset cognitive complaints; or
• •Loss of consciousness for \>5 minutes.