Clinical Pathology of Essential Tremor-Related Dementia
Official title: Clinical Pathological Study of Essential Tremor-Dementia
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11366277 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patients-facing study asks how essential tremor may be linked to dementia, with the goal of better understanding risks and potential biomarkers for people living with ET.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | July 6, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $679,914 |
| NIH project number | 1R01NS145265-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11366277 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults diagnosed with essential tremor who are willing to participate in longitudinal assessments and consent to brain donation for postmortem analysis.
✕Less likely to help
Participants without progression to dementia may not experience direct clinical benefits during the study.
What this research studies
This grant funds a long-term study of older adults with essential tremor to understand how cognitive decline and dementia may develop in this group. It builds on prior work by following participants over time and analyzing brain tissue after death to identify what tissues and biomarkers are associated with ET-related dementia. The approach combines clinical assessments, neuropsychology tests, imaging data, and postmortem neuropathology to map how ET progresses to cognitive impairment. The findings could help doctors recognize dementia risk earlier and guide future therapies for people with ET who may be at higher risk. Overall, the project aims to fill crucial gaps in how ET relates to dementia and its underlying biology.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could improve dementia risk prediction and spur new treatment targets for people with essential tremor.
How similar studies have gone: Previous cohorts have linked ET to higher dementia risk, but this study advances by incorporating postmortem analyses and biomarker work in a longitudinal design.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Louis, Elan D — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Louis, Elan D
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Vocal Tremor in Essential Tremor: Understanding Physiologic Cues in Older Adults
This grant studies why and how vocal tremor happens in people with essential tremor, aiming to better understand and describe voice changes in older adults.
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New therapies for essential tremor from cannabidiol mechanisms
A patient-facing overview of how cannabis-based medicines might help tremor by targeting specific brain receptors, aiming to find better and better tolerated treatments for essential tremor.
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Test to flag essential tremor patients at risk of Parkinson’s progression by detecting phosphorylated alpha-synuclein
A new test being developed for people with essential tremor to see who might later develop Parkinson’s disease.
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Personalized tremor relief for older adults using a new tremor-decomposition tool
A study aims to tailor tremor treatment for people 65 and older by refining a method that identifies which muscles cause tremor, with the goal of guiding practical, wearable relief options.
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PET scans to measure a brain protein (SV2A) in essential tremor
This project uses PET brain scans to look for changes in the SV2A protein in people with essential tremor to help diagnose and follow the condition over time.
-
Thalamic Coordinated Reset Deep Brain Stimulation for Essential Tremor
A new brain stimulation approach is being tested to help people with essential tremor by using coordinated, lower-intensity stimulation to the thalamus.
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.