Brain imaging center for Alzheimer’s and aging
Neuroimaging Core
This project uses brain scans and blood tests over three years to compare older adults with and without prior COVID-19, including people with or at risk for Alzheimer’s.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Science Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Antonio, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11180232 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join one of five enrollment sites and have clinical checks and blood drawn at enrollment, 18 months, and 36 months, and brain MRI scans at enrollment and 18 months. About 4,300 people over age 60 will be enrolled, with roughly 75% who had a PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection and 25% who did not. The Neuroimaging Core makes sure MRI scans are collected the same way across sites, runs quality checks, and prepares the images for analysis using methods similar to ADNI3. Data and images will be archived and shared so other researchers can use them to study links between COVID, brain changes, and Alzheimer’s-related measures.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are men and women over age 60 who can travel to one of the enrollment sites and either had a PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection or never had COVID-19.
Not a fit: People younger than 60 or those who cannot safely have an MRI or give blood are unlikely to be eligible or benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify brain and blood markers tied to COVID-related changes in older adults that relate to Alzheimer’s, guiding future diagnosis and treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Many of the imaging methods are well established in large Alzheimer’s studies like ADNI, but applying them at scale to compare older adults with and without prior COVID-19 is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
San Antonio, United States
- University of Texas Hlth Science Center — San Antonio, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fox, Peter Thornton — University of Texas Hlth Science Center
- Study coordinator: Fox, Peter Thornton
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.