Exclusion Criteria
You may not be eligible if you have the following:
- Major psychiatric disorder (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, untreated major depression within past year)**
- Neurological conditions affecting cognition (e.g., Parkinson’s disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment)
- Immune conditions and other conditions affecting cognition (e.g., lupus, respiratory failure)
- Systemic illnesses (e.g., current cancer, renal failure, respiratory failure)
- Substance abuse/dependence (DSM-V criteria)
- Current medication use likely to affect the nervous system and cognition (e.g., long-acting benzodiazepines; neuroleptics in the phenothiazine and haloperidol families)
- Current medication use that precludes lumbar punctures (e.g., anticoagulants, antiplatelets, heparin shots, or some other types of blood thinner medications: Warfarin [coumadin], Pradaxa [dabigatran], Xarelto [rivaroxaban], Eliquis [apixaban), or Plavix [clopidogrel]).
- Significant sensory or motor deficits that would interfere with cognitive testing
- Factors that preclude MR imaging (e.g., pacemaker)
- Factors that preclude lumbar punctures (e.g., lower back surgery)
**Prospective participants who previously received a diagnosis of major depression in the past 2 years, but are actively being treated with an anti-depressant and are not reporting significant mood symptoms at study entry may still be considered for enrollment.