Sleep Trial to Prevent Alzheimer's Disease

Sleep Trial to Prevent Alzheimer's Disease (NCT04629547) is a Phase 2 interventional studying Sleep and Alzheimer Disease, sponsored by Washington University School of Medicine. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

About This Trial

The purpose of this study is to determine if treatment with the sleep aid suvorexant can decrease the rate of amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation in the brain.

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 2 trials evaluate whether a treatment actually works against Sleep and continue monitoring side effects. Phase 2 enrolls larger groups (typically 100–300 patients) and produces the first real efficacy signal. A successful Phase 2 readout is what unlocks the much larger Phase 3 confirmatory trials needed for FDA approval.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

Target enrollment of 200 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused Sleep subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: - Male or female. - Any race or ethnicity. - Participants must be age ≥65 years and able to sign willing to sign a consent form. - Global Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) 0. - Willing and able to undergo study procedures. Who Should NOT Join This Trial: - History of reported symptoms suggestive of restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy or other central disorder of hypersomnolence, or parasomnia - STOP-Bang score \>6 for participants without PAP - Untreated OSA with AHI ≥15 on home sleep test - Treated sleep apnea with PAP non-compliance - PAP compliance is defined as \>= 4 hours per night \>70% of the nights - Plasma A-beta and tau test with a plasma p-tau 217% ≤ 1.19 - Stroke. - Chronic kidney disease defined as patients with markers of kidney damage or eGFR of \< 45 ml/min/1.73m2. - Hepatic impairment defined as AST and/or ALT \> 2x upper limit of normal (normal limits AST: 11-47 IU/L, ALT: 6-53 IU/L). - HIV/AIDS. - History of substance abuse or alcohol abuse in the proceeding 6 months. - Regular alcohol consumption 3 or more days a week over the last 6 months. Regular alcohol consumption is defined as having more than 2 alcoholic beverages within 3 hours of bedtime. Participants that agree to reduce alcohol consumption during the study may not be excluded. - History of presence of any clinically significant medical condition, behavioral or psychiatric disorder, or surgical history based on medical record or participant report that could affect the safety of the participant or interfere with study assessments or in the judgement of the Principal-Investigator (PI) if participant is not a good candidate. - Has any medical condition that, in the PI's opinion, could increase risk to the participant, limit the participant's ability to tolerate the research procedures, or interfere with the collection/analysis of the data. Potential medical conditions that will be exclusionary at the PI's discretion: ...See full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language

Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female. * Any race or ethnicity. * Participants must be age ≥65 years and able to sign informed consent. * Global Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) 0. * Willing and able to undergo study procedures. Exclusion Criteria: * History of reported symptoms suggestive of restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy or other central disorder of hypersomnolence, or parasomnia * STOP-Bang score \>6 for participants without PAP * Untreated OSA with AHI ≥15 on home sleep test * Treated sleep apnea with PAP non-compliance * PAP compliance is defined as \>= 4 hours per night \>70% of the nights * Plasma A-beta and tau test with a plasma p-tau 217% ≤ 1.19 * Stroke. * Chronic kidney disease defined as patients with markers of kidney damage or eGFR of \< 45 ml/min/1.73m2. * Hepatic impairment defined as AST and/or ALT \> 2x upper limit of normal (normal limits AST: 11-47 IU/L, ALT: 6-53 IU/L). * HIV/AIDS. * History of substance abuse or alcohol abuse in the proceeding 6 months. * Regular alcohol consumption 3 or more days a week over the last 6 months. Regular alcohol consumption is defined as having more than 2 alcoholic beverages within 3 hours of bedtime. Participants that agree to reduce alcohol consumption during the study may not be excluded. * History of presence of any clinically significant medical condition, behavioral or psychiatric disorder, or surgical history based on medical record or participant report that could affect the safety of the participant or interfere with study assessments or in the judgement of the Principal-Investigator (PI) if participant is not a good candidate. * Has any medical condition that, in the PI's opinion, could increase risk to the participant, limit the participant's ability to tolerate the research procedures, or interfere with the collection/analysis of the data. Potential medical conditions that will be exclusionary at the PI's discretion: * Cardiovascular disease requiring medication except for controlled hypertension. * Pulmonary disease. * Type I diabetes. * Neurologic or psychiatric disorder requiring medication. * Tobacco use. * Use of sedating medications. * Use of medications that interact with suvorexant (if cannot be discontinued) * Abnormal safety labs * History of current suicidal ideations. * Currently pregnant or breast-feeding. * In the opinion of the PI, the participant should be excluded due to an abnormal physical examination. * Must not have participated in any clinical trial involving a study drug or device within the 30-days prior to study enrollment. * Must not participate in another drug or device study prior to the end of this study participation. Exclusion criteria for optional lumbar punctures -• Contraindication to lumbar puncture (anticoagulants; bleeding disorder; allergy to lidocaine or disinfectant; prior central nervous system or lower back surgery).

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

Suvorexant 20 mg

Suvorexant 20mg will be taken nightly for 24 months.

DRUG

Placebo

Placebo will be taken nightly for 24 months.

Locations (1)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

Washington University School of Medicine

St Louis, Missouri, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT04629547), the sponsor (Washington University School of Medicine), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT04629547 clinical trial studying?

The purpose of this study is to determine if treatment with the sleep aid suvorexant can decrease the rate of amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation in the brain. The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT04629547?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT04629547?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT04629547. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT04629547. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.