Breathing therapy to help clear brain toxins in older adults who sleep poorly
Official title: Breathing therapy to improve clearance of brain toxins in elder poor sleepers
Funded at University of Miami School of Medicine · NIH-11617740 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small study will test a breathing-based therapy to boost brain toxin clearance in older adults with poor sleep patterns related to Alzheimer’s risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Miami School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Coral Gables, United States) |
| Project start | September 21, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $635,301 |
| NIH project number | 1R56AG099082-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11617740 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are older adults with poor sleep quality and a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease due to age and sleep-related factors.
✕Less likely to help
There may be no direct benefit for individuals whose sleep improves independently of the intervention or who do not have elevated toxin levels.
What this research studies
This grant supports a study from the University of Miami that looks at whether a breathing-based intervention can improve the brain’s ability to remove waste products during sleep in older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s. The researchers focus on how breathing and sleep stages may drive the transfer of waste from the brain to spinal fluid, potentially accelerating toxin clearance as we age. Participants would be adults with poor sleep who may be at risk for dementia, with procedures designed to monitor sleep, breathing, and brain toxin clearance markers. The project aims to identify whether a non-drug intervention could enhance toxin removal and slow neurodegenerative processes in a real-world setting.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could lead to non-pharmacological ways to enhance brain toxin clearance and potentially reduce Alzheimer’s-related risk in older adults who sleep poorly.
How similar studies have gone: Similar conceptually focused sleep and clearance studies exist, but this specific spinal-to-cranial toxin transfer approach is exploratory and needs demonstration.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Miami School of Medicine
Coral Gables, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Alperin, Noam — University of Miami School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Alperin, Noam
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.