Global patterns of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's dementia
Official title: A global epidemiology of cognitive impairment and dementia due to Alzheimer's disease and related disorders: the COSMIC Collaboration
Funded at University of New South Wales · NIH-11416183 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Bringing together memory-study data from around the world to find lifestyle and environmental factors people can change to lower the risk of Alzheimer's and related dementias.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of New South Wales NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Sydney, Australia) |
| Project start | September 15, 2017 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $26,608 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AG057531-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11416183 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults who have taken part in long-term memory or aging cohort studies — with or without memory problems — are the kinds of participants whose data are included.
✕Less likely to help
People looking for immediate treatments or clinical interventions should not expect direct benefits because this project analyzes existing population data rather than offering a therapeutic intervention.
What this research studies
This project combines long-term memory and aging studies from many countries into one harmonized dataset so researchers can spot global patterns. The team standardizes how cognitive decline and dementia are measured and pools individual participant data for large-scale analyses. They will map the 12 modifiable dementia risk factors highlighted by the 2020 Lancet Commission and study new risk or resilience factors such as air pollution and the built environment. By comparing results across diverse populations, the work aims to show which prevention strategies work best in different places.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could clarify which modifiable behaviors and environmental changes most reduce dementia risk and guide prevention policies worldwide.
How similar studies have gone: Previous large cohort collaborations and the Lancet Commission have identified modifiable dementia risks, and this larger, globally harmonized effort aims to strengthen and broaden those findings.
Where this research is happening
-
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sachdev, Perminder S — University of New South Wales
- Study coordinator: Sachdev, Perminder S
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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.