Gut bacteria chemicals linked to memory and thinking problems
Official title: Gut microbiome-related metabolites and cognitive impairment
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11184406 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether chemicals made by gut bacteria in adults are related to brain changes and later memory or thinking problems, with attention to racial differences.
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 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $781,115 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG089361-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11184406 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults (21+) from diverse racial backgrounds who are enrolled in, or similar to, large US cohort studies (like REGARDS or CARDIA) and who can provide or have provided blood, imaging, and cognitive data.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking an immediate treatment or cure for dementia are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this observational biomarker research.
What this research studies
You would be contributing to research that uses long-term health data from thousands of adults to see if blood metabolites tied to gut bacteria predict small vessel disease on brain MRI, Alzheimer biomarkers, and later cognitive decline. Researchers will measure these metabolites in stored blood samples, compare them to MRI findings and cognitive test results, and then try to replicate the findings in a second large cohort. The team emphasizes differences between Black and White participants to understand racial disparities in dementia risk. No new experimental treatments are given; the study links existing biological measurements to imaging and clinical outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify blood markers and gut-related targets that help predict or eventually reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has linked some gut microbiome metabolites to stroke and vascular risk, but applying these markers to predict Alzheimer-related brain changes and cognitive decline is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kimberly, William Taylor — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Kimberly, William Taylor
Related research
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Improving Neurological Health with Brain Training for Mild Cognitive Impairment (INHANCE-MCI)
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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.