Brain MRI, Memory Tests, and Stool Sample Questions

There are no known medical risks to completing the stool sample collection and memory tests.

There are some risks in undergoing an MRI: The magnetic effect of the MRI on implanted devices. The MRI could cause any metal in your body to heat up. This is because the MRI machine uses strong magnets in order to collect the scans. Every effort will be made to eliminate this risk, by asking you ahead of time about any devices or injuries from metal objects, and not running the test if you have anything in your body that will be affected by the machine.

The stool sample you provide will be stored for future research. No tests will be run on the sample at the time of collection, and no individual results will be provided from the research performed in the future.

The additional memory tests are collected for research purposes only. No results from these tests will be provided to you.

The MRI scan being done is designed to answer research questions, not to examine your brain medically. This MRI scan is not a substitute for one that a doctor may order for a specific reason. This research MRI may not show problems that would be picked up by a medical MRI scan. However, if we believe that we have found a medical problem in your MRI scan, we will contact you and with your permission, contact your family physician or help in getting the right medical follow-up for you. No information generated in this study will become part of your health records. However, if the study detects an abnormality in your MRI scan and further follow-up is required, then this information may become part of your health records.

The data collected are de-identified (meaning the data are connected to an ID number, not to your name or any other personal identifying information). The MRI scans are labelled with this ID (not with your name) at the MRI facility and then the images are sent to Calgary Image Processing and Analysis Centre (CIPAC) at the University of Calgary for review and long-term storage. The data associated with the scans, like all CLSA data, are kept on secure servers located at McMaster University.

The stool samples will be stored in freezers located at McMaster University. No identifiable information will be shared with anyone outside of our established CLSA protocols. The CLSA will protect any information and images collected as we do for all other CLSA participant information.

You will be asked to complete this data collection every three years as part of your participation in the core CLSA study.

Participants who take part will be provided with a stool sample collection kit at their in-home interview. They will bring the samples with them when they visit the Data Collection for physical assessments. At the Data Collection Site, they will complete some additional memory tests, which take about 20 minutes.

Following the Data Collection Site visit, a one-hour MRI appointment will be scheduled at an MRI facility located near the Data Collection Site.

The brain MRI, additional memory tests and stool samples are being collected with funding for a sub-study called the Healthy Brains Healthy Aging Initiative. The Healthy Brains, Healthy Aging Initiative is supported through a $12-million grant from the Weston Family Foundation. It will include 6,000 CLSA participants who will be asked to undergo brain imaging, additional memory tests and stool sample analysis. The initiative aims to collect data that, when added to the other data the CLSA is collecting, will shed light on how lifestyle factors – such as sleep, physical activity and diet – influence healthy cognitive aging.

You should not have an MRI if you have any of the following items implanted in your body:

• Cardiac pacemaker, wires, or a defibrillator
• Metal fragment in the eye or orbit
• Brain aneurysm clip
• Stainless steel Intrauterine Device (IUD)
• Artificial heart valve
• Eye or ear implant
• Implanted drug infusion pump
• Shunt
• Electrical stimulator for nerves or bones
• Coil, catheter or filter in any blood vessel
• Orthopedic hardware (artificial joint, plate, screws, rods)
• Other metallic prosthesis
• Shrapnel, bullets, or other metallic fragments
• Stent
• Participants who have any of the implants listed above cannot participate in the study.
• You should also not have an MRI if you are pregnant or suffer from claustrophobia.

It is not possible to sign up for this data collection. Only eligible CLSA participants will be invited to take part.