Brain and balance links to walking and thinking in Alzheimer's and related dementias
Official title: Neural Correlates of Cognitive-Motor Interactions in ADRD Gait
Funded at University of Florida · NIH-11193952 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how changes in the brain and the balance system affect walking and thinking in older adults with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $788,231 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG089050-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11193952 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are older adults with mild cognitive impairment, early Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias, or noticeable changes in walking or balance.
✕Less likely to help
Younger people without cognitive or mobility issues or those whose walking problems are due to non-neurological causes are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
If you take part, researchers will measure your walking, balance (vestibular) function, and thinking skills and use brain imaging and neurophysiological tests to map involved brain areas like the hippocampus and motor cortex. They will compare people with normal aging, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's-related dementia to find patterns that appear before memory loss. The team combines experts in aging, movement science, and brain imaging to link balance and spatial navigation problems to changes in gait. The goal is to clarify whether simple changes in how you walk could serve as an early sign of brain changes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help detect Alzheimer's-related changes earlier using walking or balance measures and suggest ways to prevent falls and slow decline.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has linked gait changes and vestibular loss to cognitive decline and falls, but this specific focus on hippocampal and vestibular pathways together is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Florida
Gainesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Seidler, Rachael D — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Seidler, Rachael D
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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.