Circadian rhythm problems and dementia in adults and older adults
Official title: Circadian Disturbance and Dementia
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11601662 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study using data from people with Alzheimer's and related conditions to understand how sleep-wake patterns and daily rhythms relate to dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $30,637 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AG083799-05S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11601662 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 40–80 with Alzheimer’s disease, FTLD, or who are controls, from diverse settings in the ReDLat network.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without circadian disturbance or those outside the study populations may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project will analyze data from a large dementia research database to see how circadian disturbances relate to Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Researchers will look at information on sleep, activity, cognition, and other factors to identify patterns that might signal risk or progression. The team uses a multi-partner dataset from Latin America to study adults aged 40–80 and will examine how timing of daily activities intersects with dementia characteristics.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could help people with dementia and those at risk understand how sleep and daily rhythms affect symptoms and progression.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research links disrupted circadian rhythms to worse health outcomes, but this project aims to clarify its role in specific dementia types.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hu, Kun — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Hu, Kun
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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.