Enhancing how doctors and families talk about cognition for older adults with dementia and cancer
Official title: Enhancing Triadic Communication About Cognition for Older Adults with Alzheimer's Disease or Related Dementias Facing a Cancer Management Decision
Funded at University of Rochester · NIH-11320798 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-friendly tool is being adapted to help people with Alzheimer’s or related dementias and their caregivers discuss cognitive issues when making cancer treatment decisions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | May 15, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $508,420 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG077053-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11320798 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults with pre-existing dementia or related cognitive disorders who are facing a cancer treatment decision and have a caregiver or care partner.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without dementia or cognitive impairment and those not facing a cancer treatment decision may not benefit.
What this research studies
Older adults with dementia who also have cancer face tough choices about treatment. This project will adapt a communication tool already used for aging-related concerns so it fits conversations about cognition in the cancer care context. The team will test whether using the tool makes discussions with clinicians clearer, more focused on goals, and aligned with patient and caregiver preferences. The work is based at the University of Rochester and involves patients, care partners, and oncology clinicians. Results could guide clinicians in having better, more person-centered conversations during complex cancer decisions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the tool could improve the quality of decision-making and align cancer care with what matters most to patients and families.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary research suggests the approach helps discuss aging-related cognitive issues, but it has not yet been tested specifically in ADRD patients with cancer.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Magnuson, Allison Marian — University of Rochester
- Study coordinator: Magnuson, Allison Marian
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s biomarkers: how they change together over time
This project studies how brain inflammation relates to Alzheimer’s biomarkers and memory changes over the course of the disease, to help predict progression.
-
Linking in utero exposures to midlife brain health and Alzheimer's risk
Researchers are studying how environmental exposures before birth may affect thinking skills in midlife and support early signs of Alzheimer's risk.
-
Combining aging surveys to understand memory, Alzheimer's, and dementia care
This project brings together long-term survey data from many countries and adds things like air pollution and care-policy information to see how they relate to memory, mild cognitive problems, and Alzheimer's risk in older adults.
-
Understanding how environment affects Alzheimer’s disease in older adults
A long-term study in adults 21 and older will look at how air pollution, chemical exposures, and social factors relate to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
-
Midlife memory and dementia risk in Kenyan adults
This work looks at midlife thinking and memory and how childhood health and life experiences might affect future dementia risk for Kenyan adults.
-
Resonance breathing to change Alzheimer’s protein levels and support memory
This project uses daily paced resonance breathing to try to change blood markers linked to Alzheimer’s and support thinking in adults aged 50–70.
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.