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 type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AG093885-01A1S3 |
| Project ID | NIH-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
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Cognition After War: A new {HCAP} for older adults and their children
A study will create a standardized cognitive test battery for older veterans and their midlife children to understand how early-life war exposure might influence dementia risk.
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Cognition After War: A New, Harmonized Cognitive Test Series and ADRD Risk Study for Older Adults and Their Children
A study will create a harmonized set of cognitive tests and look at how early-life war exposure may relate to dementia risk in older adults and their midlife children.
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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.