Cognitive health and dementia in older Kerala Americans
Cognitive decline and dementia in older Kerala Americans
This project compares brain health and dementia risk in older first-generation Kerala immigrants living in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut with older adults in Kerala, India.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University New York Stony Brook NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stony Brook, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11300202 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will enroll about 400 older first-generation Kerala immigrants in the tri-state area and collect clinical and biological information to characterize cognitive health. They will use the same tests and protocols already used in a separate group of 800 older adults in Kerala, India, so the two groups can be compared directly. The team will look at sociocultural and immigration-related factors alongside biological and vascular measures to see how these relate to memory and thinking changes. The goal is to pinpoint factors tied to higher or lower dementia risk in this community.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are older first-generation immigrants from the Indian state of Kerala who currently live in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut and are willing to undergo clinical and biological testing.
Not a fit: People who are not Kerala immigrants, who live outside the tri-state area, or who are unable to participate in clinical or biological testing are unlikely to be eligible or benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify risk or protective factors that lead to better prevention, earlier detection, and culturally tailored care for Kerala American older adults.
How similar studies have performed: Cross-national comparisons of a single immigrant group using the same protocols are rare, so this builds on the existing Kerala-Einstein cohort but applies a novel immigrant-versus-native approach.
Where this research is happening
Stony Brook, United States
- State University New York Stony Brook — Stony Brook, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Verghese, Joe — State University New York Stony Brook
- Study coordinator: Verghese, Joe
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 below.