Brain and blood markers of early dementia in middle-aged autistic adults
Quantification of the neurocognitive, brain, and blood markers of dementia in middle-aged autistic adults
This project will use brain scans, thinking tests, and blood markers to look for early signs of dementia in autistic adults aged 40 to 65.
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 ID | NIH-11299502 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would complete memory and thinking tests, provide blood samples, and have brain imaging (including diffusion MRI and amyloid PET) to measure changes linked to dementia. The team will measure proteins in the blood such as Aβ42, Aβ40, total tau, and neurofilament light, and analyze brain structure and free-water changes in regions like the hippocampus and frontotemporal cortex. Researchers will compare these results to non-autistic controls and to earlier pilot findings to see whether autistic adults show earlier or faster dementia-related changes. Follow-up visits over time will track how cognitive tests, imaging, and blood markers change.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Autistic adults between about 40 and 65 years old would be the ideal participants, whether or not they have memory concerns.
Not a fit: Children, young adults, people without an autism diagnosis, and those outside the 40–65 age range would not be the target for this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help detect dementia earlier in autistic adults and support more timely monitoring and care.
How similar studies have performed: Preliminary pilot data from this group and a few other studies show early cognitive decline and biomarker changes in autistic adults, but larger confirmatory studies remain limited.
Where this research is happening
Gainesville, United States
- University of Florida — Gainesville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Zheng — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Wang, Zheng
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.