Grit and memory protection in aging and early Alzheimer’s disease
Official title: Grit against cognitive decline in aging and preclinical Alzheimer Disease
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11396474 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aging adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease may keep sharper thinking if they have grit, and this project explores how motivation and brain signals relate to memory in at-risk older adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $831,217 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG085377-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11396474 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 and older who are cognitively normal but amyloid-positive and at elevated risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
✕Less likely to help
Some participants may not experience noticeable cognitive benefits during the study.
What this research studies
This study looks at how staying persistent and motivated helps older adults protect memory even when brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s are present. Researchers will examine brain regions involved in motivation, like the anterior mid-cingulate cortex, and how their activity relates to memory performance in people 21 or older who are amyloid-positive but cognitively normal. The project builds on prior findings to understand whether grit could be a protective factor and how brain circuits support it. Results could point to new strategies to maintain cognitive health in aging and preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. We will use imaging and behavioral tasks to link mental perseverance with actual memory outcomes over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new ways to bolster cognitive resilience in aging adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies suggest a link between grit-like motivation and cognitive resilience, but the brain mechanisms in at-risk individuals are still being clarified.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Touroutoglou, Alexandra — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Touroutoglou, Alexandra
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Grit and memory resilience in older adults with early Alzheimer's changes
Learn whether stronger persistence ('grit') and its brain signals help older adults with early Alzheimer's changes keep their memory sharp.
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Exploring how grit can help prevent cognitive decline in aging and Alzheimer's disease
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-
How inflammation-linked metabolism affects memory loss in aging and Alzheimer's
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Cerebellum changes in aging and cognitive decline
Researchers are studying how aging affects the cerebellum and how these brain changes relate to moments of cognitive decline in people aged 65 and older.
-
Mitochondria and Thinking in Aging Brains: How Energy Rooms Affect Memory in Alzheimer’s
This project looks at how mitochondrial energy in the aging brain relates to cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease in people and in people with mitochondrial DNA disorders.
-
Peripheral immune signals and blood vessel health in aging and dementia
This project looks at how platelet and neutrophil activity relate to brain changes and biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease in older adults, especially those at higher cardiovascular risk.
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.