NIH-funded research R01 grant

A harmonized protocol to map memory-related brain regions for dementia research

Official title: A harmonized medial temporal lobe subregion segmentation protocol: an essential element for dementia research

Funded at Wayne State University · NIH-11541308 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This grant aims to standardize how doctors measure small memory-related brain areas on MRI to improve dementia research.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionWayne State University
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Detroit, United States)
Project startMarch 1, 2022
Project endFebruary 28, 2027
Funding year2026
Award (this year)$166,789
NIH project number3R01AG070592-05S1
Project IDNIH-11541308 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Not applicable as a patient in this study; imaging data is derived from scans, not a direct patient intervention.

Less likely to help

No direct patient involvement in this protocol-focused project; it analyzes imaging methods.

What this research studies

Researchers at Wayne State University want to create one shared, reliable method to identify and label subregions within the medial temporal lobe on high-resolution brain scans. By standardizing segmentation, they hope to reduce conflicting results across studies of Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions. The project builds on prior work by the Hippocampal Subfields Group and uses advanced MRI data to establish validity and consistency in how these brain regions are outlined. The outcome should make future imaging studies more comparable and help researchers better understand how memory-related brain changes occur in dementia.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: A clearer, standardized imaging protocol could improve the accuracy of dementia research and potentially speed the development of diagnostic tools.

How similar studies have gone: Previous work showed promising progress in harmonizing hippocampal subfield segmentation, but standardization remains a gap that this project aims to fill.

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

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.