Coordinating center for how sleep clears fluid and waste from the brain
Administrative Core
Researchers will study how brain activity during sleep drives fluid flow that clears waste from the brain, aiming to help people with sleep problems or neurodegenerative risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11161458 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This program brings together teams using human brain imaging, animal recordings, fluid-flow measurements, and computer models to map how sleep affects cerebrospinal fluid movement and waste clearance. The Administrative Core runs the program, coordinates the Data and Viral Tool Development Cores, and helps teams share data, tools, and methods. Studies will compare findings across scales and species to link cellular processes to whole-brain fluid dynamics. The goal is to translate those insights into ideas that could improve brain health in people with sleep disturbances or risk for dementia.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with sleep disturbances, older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease, or volunteers willing to undergo sleep neuroimaging or related tests would be the most likely candidates to participate.
Not a fit: People without sleep or brain-clearance concerns, those who cannot undergo MRI or sleep studies, or children (if the studies focus on adults) may not directly benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to new ways to improve sleep-related brain clearance and potentially slow the buildup of harmful proteins linked to dementia.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal and human imaging work supports the idea of sleep-linked brain clearance, but translating those findings into therapies remains largely unproven and is an active area of research.
Where this research is happening
Rochester, United States
- University of Rochester — Rochester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nedergaard, Maiken — University of Rochester
- Study coordinator: Nedergaard, Maiken
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.