--- title: "New Alzheimer's Study Seeks Diverse Patients at CPMC | Sutter Health" description: "Sutter's New IDEAS study uses PET brain scans to improve Alzheimer's diagnosis, with a focus on recruiting patients from diverse backgrounds." url: "https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation/new-alzheimers-study-aims-for-diversity-looks-to-improve-diagnosis-treatment" --- 1. [Home](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Research & innovation](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation) / 3. New Alzheimers Study Aims For Diversity Looks To Improve Diagnosis Treatment # Alzheimer's Study Looks to Improve Diagnosis, Treatment Sutter's New IDEAS study uses PET brain scans to improve Alzheimer's diagnosis, with a focus on recruiting patients from diverse backgrounds. July 15, 2021 by Karin Fleming ![Alzheimer's Study Looks to Improve Diagnosis, Treatment](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/Vitals/research-and-innovation/scan-of-the-brain-picture-id480338933-1-26d87638.jpg?h=795&iar=0&w=1024 "Alzheimer's Study Looks to Improve Diagnosis, Treatment") Hope may be on the horizon for people with Alzheimer’s disease. A new study aims to determine if a specific type of brain scan using PET (positron emission tomography) can improve diagnosis and treatment for people with the brain illness. Recruiting study participants from diverse backgrounds is one component of this new study. “PET imaging that shows an accumulation of amyloid plaques can provide critical information to help confirm a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly in the earliest stages of the illness when the diagnosis may be unclear,” said Armen Moughamian, M.D., Ph.D., medical director of the Ray Dolby Brain Health Center at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco and principal investigator of the New IDEAS study at CPMC. CPMC is part of the Sutter Health not-for-profit integrated network of care. The [original IDEAS study](https://www.ideas-study.org/Original-Study) included more than 11,000 participants and provided the strongest data to date to support the role of brain amyloid PET scans in the management of patients with cognitive impairment. **Recruiting Diverse Study Participants** “There is currently limited information about the impact of amyloid PET scans in diverse patient populations,” says Dr. Moughamian. He says an important component of this next New IDEAS study will be recruiting people from diverse racial and ethnic groups. “To support the study goals and Sutter’s commitment to advancing health equity, we aim to recruit more diverse patients. This will help ensure the findings are applicable to minority populations that were previously underrepresented in the initial study,” says Dr. Moughamian. **Who May be Eligible to Enroll?** The New IDEAS [study](https://www.ideas-study.org/Find-a-Site/Site-Locator-by-State) is open to Medicare patients who have mild cognitive impairment or dementia, and who have been referred to the study by a Sutter dementia specialist. It is being offered to patients who qualify at CPMC in San Francisco now and will soon open for enrollment to qualifying patients at Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland and Sutter Health Memorial Medical Center in Modesto. Sutter hopes to enroll as many as 60 patients from communities across its Northern California footprint. For more information about New IDEAS, contact CPMC’s Ray Dolby Brain Health Center at (415) 600-5555 or [brainhealth@sutterhealth.org](mailto:brainhealth@sutterhealth.org) or visit the [Sutter Sacramento memory clinic](https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/alzheimers-brain-health) online. ## Topics [Alzheimer's](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/search?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_healthTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Alzheimer%27s%22%5D%7D%5D&verticalKey=articles) ## Alzheimer’s and dementia Your care should start with clear information and support. Our Alzheimer’s and dementia services provide evaluation, treatment and guidance to help you understand your options and take the next step. [Learn more about Alzheimer’s and dementia](https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/dementia) ## Related articles ### [Sutter Neuroscience Program Tops U.S. Rankings](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/our-people/sutter-neuroscience-tops-u-s-rankings) ### [A Husband’s Love That Never Gives Up](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories/a-husbands-love-that-never-gives-up) ### [Sutter Health Breaks Ground on Advanced Neuroscience Complex](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation/sutter-health-breaks-ground-on-442-million-neuroscience-complex-in-san-francisco) ### [Crowd-Sourced Idea May Be Next Big Alzheimer’s Innovation](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation/inaugural-innovation-challenge-winner) [See all from Research & innovation](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation) ## Check your Vitals Get the latest in health innovation, community impact and patient care from Sutter Health — delivered straight to your inbox. 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