Charlotte, NC & the Carolinas
Lewy Body Dementia Clinical Trials Near Charlotte, NC
Lewy Body Dementia research is limited but real. Two active studies are open at UNC and Duke right now — and pivotal new treatments (like donanemab for DLB) are opening in 2026. We track every new Lewy Body study and notify you the moment one fits.
2
Active Studies
2
NC Sites
2026
New Trials Opening
Lewy Body Studies Open Now
Two recruiting studies in NC right now, plus a notify-me list for the bigger pivotal trials opening this year. Compensation is $100/visit each for the patient and their study partner.
ACP-204 for Lewy Body Psychosis
ACADIA / Phase 2 / Antipsychotic
A new pill from the maker of NUPLAZID, designed to quiet hallucinations and delusions in Lewy Body Dementia and PD dementia without making movement or thinking worse. Six weeks of treatment. Caregiver attends visits. Open to adults 55–84 with established LBD and active psychosis.
$100/visit each for patient + caregiver. Travel & lodging reimbursed.
iMIND — Eye Imaging Study
Duke University / Observational / Retinal Imaging
No drugs, no treatment — just a non-invasive eye scan plus a brief cognitive check-in. Researchers think the back of the eye shows early signs of LBD and other brain conditions. Most visits are 60 to 90 minutes. Helpful for newly-diagnosed Lewy Body patients who want to contribute without committing to a drug trial.
Modest per-visit stipend. Travel reimbursed.
Notify Me
Get on the Lewy Body trial list
Big pivotal studies are landing in 2026 — including the Eli Lilly TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 7 trial of donanemab for Dementia with Lewy Bodies. Once a Carolinas site opens, we will contact you within a day. No spam, no obligation.
Join the LBD interest list →Where Lewy Body Research Happens in NC
Lewy Body Dementia research in North Carolina lives at two academic medical centers. We help arrange travel and lodging for the visits that require an in-person evaluation.
Chapel Hill, NC · 2.5h
UNC Hospitals — Movement Disorders & Memory
Currently running the ACP-204 Lewy Body psychosis trial. Strong movement-disorder bench and dedicated cognitive testing staff — important for the careful neuropsych assessments LBD studies require.
Durham, NC · 2.5h
Duke — iMIND & Memory Disorders Clinic
Runs the iMIND eye-imaging study across neurodegenerative diseases including LBD. Designated Lewy Body Dementia Association Research Center of Excellence — a recognized expert hub for diagnosis and care.
Travel & lodging: The drive to UNC or Duke from Charlotte is about 2.5 hours each way. For the studies above, qualifying participants get sponsor-paid travel reimbursement plus a hotel arranged on overnight-stay visits. We help you sort out logistics before you commit.
Lewy Body Dementia Clinical Trials in Charlotte. Here Is What You Should Know.
Lewy Body Dementia is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s — but it is wildly under-served by clinical research. There are probably 1.4 million Americans living with LBD or Parkinson’s disease dementia, yet the entire country has fewer than 20 actively recruiting LBD-specific trials today. This page lists every Lewy Body trial Charlotte-area patients can actually reach.
2026 is the year LBD research finally catches up.
The Eli Lilly TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 7 trial is opening this year — the first Phase 2 trial testing an FDA-approved Alzheimer’s drug (donanemab) in people with Dementia with Lewy Bodies who also have amyloid in the brain. About 30% of DLB patients have this co-pathology. The trial plans 70 sites worldwide, and we are tracking which Carolinas sites get added. If you sign up for the interest list above, we will tell you the day a nearby site goes live.
Why most LBD research is at academic centers.
LBD diagnosis is hard. It overlaps with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Studies need detailed neuropsych testing, brain MRI, sometimes a lumbar puncture or PET scan. That kind of workup lives at big academic medical centers. So almost every recruiting LBD trial in the Carolinas is at Duke or UNC. Charlotte private clinics simply do not run them today — though that is changing as DLB-specific biomarkers get easier to measure.
A caregiver is required — and they get paid too.
Every LBD trial requires a study partner — a spouse, adult child, or close friend who attends visits and helps complete the symptom rating scales. On the treatment trial above, both the patient AND the study partner are compensated $100 per visit. Across a 6-week to 18-month protocol, that adds up. Travel, lodging, and the study medication itself are always free.
Common Questions About Lewy Body Trials
What is the difference between Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Parkinson’s Disease Dementia?
Same disease family, different starting points. If cognitive symptoms come first (or within a year of movement symptoms), doctors call it Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). If you had Parkinson’s for years before dementia developed, it is called Parkinson’s Disease Dementia (PDD). Most LBD trials accept both — the trials on this page do.
Will I have to stop my current dementia medications?
No. Cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, rivastigmine), memantine, and standard Parkinson’s medications are allowed on the ACP-204 trial. You need to be on a stable dose for several weeks before screening — we coordinate that with your neurologist.
Can my loved one consent if their cognition is declining?
Yes. LBD trials specifically allow a Legally Authorized Representative (usually a spouse, adult child, or holder of healthcare power of attorney) to provide informed consent on behalf of the patient when the patient cannot. The patient still provides assent at every visit if they are able. This is normal and built into the protocol.
Are antipsychotics safe in Lewy Body Dementia?
This is a real concern. People with LBD are very sensitive to typical antipsychotics — drugs like haloperidol can cause severe reactions. The ACP-204 study uses a non-dopamine-blocking mechanism (similar to NUPLAZID/pimavanserin), which is specifically designed for the LBD/PD population. That is part of why the trial exists — to give doctors a safer option.
How does the interest list actually work?
A short form: your name, your loved one’s diagnosis, year of diagnosis, any current medications, and how far you are willing to drive. We file it confidentially. The moment a Carolinas-area LBD study opens that matches, a real human emails or calls you the same day. No marketing, no spam, no sharing your info. You can ask us to remove your record at any time.
What about REM sleep behavior disorder — does that count?
RBD (where you physically act out dreams during REM sleep) is one of the strongest early-warning signs for future LBD. If you have a confirmed sleep-study diagnosis of RBD, you may qualify for prodromal LBD prevention trials when they open. Add it to your interest-list profile and we will flag matching studies.
Our Charlotte-Area Research Partners
Charlotte does not have a dedicated Lewy Body trial site today, but several local clinics have the CNS & memory-disorder capability to host one. If a Charlotte-area DLB study opens, it will most likely run at one of these.
Atrium Health
Multiple Charlotte locations / 161+ active studies
Memory Disorders, Neurology, Dementia, Diabetes
Charlotte’s largest health system. Memory Disorders clinic and Wake Forest School of Medicine affiliation give Atrium the diagnostic infrastructure to host a DLB trial when one is placed locally.
Visit Website →
Flourish Research
Matthews, NC 28105 / 4+ active studies
Alzheimer’s, MCI, Memory Disorders, Movement Disorders
Led by Dr. M. Reza Bolouri. 20+ years in CNS & memory research. Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence. Strongest local fit for a future Charlotte-area DLB trial given their dementia-specific infrastructure.
Visit Website →
New Hope Clinical Research
SouthPark, NC 28211 / 4+ active studies
CNS, Alzheimer’s Psychosis, Mood Disorders, Inpatient Studies
Led by Dr. Kurian Abraham. Phase I through IV facility with a 30-bed inpatient unit. Clean FDA audit. Natural fit if a future LBD psychosis trial places a Charlotte site.
Visit Website →Get on the Lewy Body interest list
3-minute form. A real human follows up the same day. The pivotal donanemab trial for DLB is opening in 2026 — we will be ready when a Carolinas site goes live, and we want you to be first to know.
Join the LBD interest list →