Blood sugar swings and brain health in older adults
Glucose instability and neurocognitive outcomes in older adults
Researchers will use wearable glucose monitors and brain scans to link blood sugar ups and downs with thinking, memory, and dementia risk in older adults with and without diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10890326 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would wear a continuous glucose monitor to track blood sugar patterns and report symptoms like dizziness or trouble concentrating. The team will perform brain MRIs and amyloid PET scans and give cognitive tests to compare glucose patterns with brain changes and thinking. Participants will include people without diabetes, with prediabetes, and with diabetes and will be followed over time for changes in memory and development of mild cognitive impairment or dementia. This approach combines wearable monitoring, symptom tracking, imaging, and repeated cognitive assessments to understand how unstable glucose may affect brain health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Older adults (including those without diabetes, with prediabetes, or with diabetes) who can wear a glucose sensor, complete cognitive testing, and travel to Johns Hopkins for brain imaging.
Not a fit: People with advanced dementia, those who cannot undergo MRI or PET scans, or who cannot wear a glucose sensor or attend in-person visits may not be able to participate or benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify blood sugar patterns that increase dementia risk and inform monitoring or treatment strategies to protect memory and thinking.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies link diabetes and blood sugar variability to dementia risk, but combining continuous glucose monitoring with brain MRI and PET imaging is relatively new and still being tested.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Selvin, Elizabeth — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Selvin, Elizabeth
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 below.