NIH-funded research R01 grant

Cognition After War: A New, Harmonized Cognitive Check for Older Adults and Their Children

Official title: Cognition After Armed Conflict: Creation of a Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) and Examination of ADRD Risks Related to Older Adult ADRD Risks Related to Early Life War Exposure

Funded at Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · NIH-11603139 · Data updated 2026-11-12

A new program will create a standardized set of cognitive tests and study how early-life war experiences might raise dementia risk in older adults and potentially affect their midlife children.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUtah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Salt Lake City, United States)
Project startSeptember 1, 2026
Project endAugust 31, 2031
Funding year2026
Award (this year)$1
NIH project number3R01AG093885-01A1S3
Project IDNIH-11603139 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Older adults with military service history and their midlife children who have detailed early-life war exposure data and can participate in cognitive testing.

Less likely to help

Individuals without a history of war exposure or those unable to participate in cognitive assessments may derive no direct benefit.

What this research studies

This project will design and implement a Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) tailored for a cohort of older veterans and their middle-aged children, building on the existing Vietnam Health and Aging Study data. Researchers will collect new cognitive data from about 1,500 older participants, 1,100 of their spouses, and around 2,500 of their midlife children to understand how early war exposure relates to later cognitive decline. The work focuses on making cognitive assessments comparable across cultures and studies, so findings can reveal shared and unique risk factors for ADRD. By linking historical war exposure to current cognitive health, the study aims to identify resilience factors and potential targets for early intervention.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve early detection of dementia risk and inform strategies to support veterans and families affected by war-related stress.

How similar studies have gone: HCAP has previously produced comparable instruments that aid cross-study comparisons and ADRD risk insights, suggesting potential for meaningful findings in this project.

Where this research is happening

  • Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
    Salt Lake City, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Korinek, Kim — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
  • Study coordinator: Korinek, Kim

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.