Depression and brain changes linked to memory decline in mild cognitive impairment
Official title: Clarifying the association of depressive symptoms with cortico-limbic tau, cerebral blood flow, neurodegeneration, and longitudinal cognitive decline in individuals with mild cognitive impairment
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11317190 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether depression in people with mild cognitive impairment is tied to tau protein build-up, lower brain blood flow, and faster memory decline.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | April 15, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,977,456 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG091718-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11317190 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are older adults diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment who have current or past depressive symptoms, including late-life major depression.
✕Less likely to help
People without cognitive impairment, younger adults, or those with no history of depressive symptoms are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If you have mild cognitive impairment, this project would enroll people with a range of depressive symptoms, from milder subsyndromal symptoms to late-life major depression. You would receive PET scans to measure tau in cortico-limbic brain regions, MRI scans to measure brain volume and cerebral blood flow, and repeated memory and thinking tests over time. The researchers will compare imaging results and cognitive changes to see if depression relates to more tau, reduced blood flow, and quicker cognitive decline. Visits and imaging are likely to occur at UCSF with longitudinal follow-up.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help explain why depression speeds memory loss and point to earlier detection methods or targeted treatments for people with MCI.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research suggests links between tau and depressive symptoms and between depression and cognitive decline, but most studies excluded people with major late-life depression, so this work addresses a gap rather than testing an already established approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mackin, Robert Scott — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Mackin, Robert Scott
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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.