A harmonized plan to map brain regions to better understand dementia
Official title: A harmonized medial temporal lobe subregion segmentation protocol: an essential element for dementia research
Funded at Wayne State University · NIH-11541317 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aimed at standardizing how brain regions in the medial temporal lobe are labeled in high-resolution MRI to improve dementia research and patient care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wayne State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Detroit, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $112,180 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AG070592-05S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11541317 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with or at risk for Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias who undergo high-resolution MRI brain scans.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without access to high-resolution MRI or those whose care does not involve neuroimaging may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on the hippocampus and surrounding brain regions that are often affected early in Alzheimer’s disease. By creating and validating a single, reliable way to outline these subregions on MRI scans, doctors and researchers can compare results more accurately across studies. The goal is to reduce confusion from different labeling methods and help clinicians track disease progression more consistently. The work builds on existing data and tools to produce a standardized protocol that could be used in future patient assessments and research trials.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the standardized protocol could lead to more accurate MRI-based diagnosis and monitoring of dementia, potentially guiding better treatment decisions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous efforts have advanced MTL segmentation, but standardization remains a barrier that this project aims to overcome.
Where this research is happening
-
Wayne State University
Detroit, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Daugherty, Ana Marie — Wayne State University
- Study coordinator: Daugherty, Ana Marie
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.