Brain aging and thinking in older adults with epilepsy
Official title: BRain Aging and Cognition in Epilepsy (BRACE): A longitudinal investigation of vascular, genetic, and biomarker risk profiles in elderly patients with epilepsy
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11284027 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows older adults with temporal or frontal lobe epilepsy to find blood tests, genes, blood vessel measures, and brain scan patterns linked to faster memory and thinking decline.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $720,816 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS120976-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11284027 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 55–90 with temporal or frontal lobe epilepsy who can travel to a participating center and undergo MRI and blood draws are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People under 55, those without epilepsy, or those unable to have MRI or blood tests are unlikely to benefit from participating.
What this research studies
You'll be invited to take part in a long-term, multi-site project for people aged 55–90 with temporal or frontal lobe epilepsy. You'll have detailed memory and thinking tests, brain MRIs, blood draws for biomarkers and genetics (such as APOE), and vascular health measures collected over time. The team will compare these measures to see which patterns match faster cognitive and brain aging. Around 100 patients from three racially and geographically diverse epilepsy centers will be followed longitudinally.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify who with epilepsy is most likely to develop dementia and point to steps to slow or prevent decline.
How similar studies have gone: Related work in Alzheimer's disease has used imaging and blood markers to predict decline, but applying this full mix of measures specifically to older adults with epilepsy is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcdonald, Carrie R — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Mcdonald, Carrie R
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Investigating brain aging and cognition in older adults with epilepsy
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How early-life spending shape aging and dementia risk later in life
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LENS: Predicting brain aging and surgical outcomes in epilepsy with AI
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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.