NIH-funded research R01 grant

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.

More Dementia research and trials

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUt Southwestern Medical Center
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Dallas, United States)
Project startJuly 6, 2026
Project endMay 31, 2031
Funding year2026
Award (this year)$679,914
NIH project number1R01NS145265-01A1
Project IDNIH-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.

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.