Health Literacy and Brain Health in Middle-Aged Adults
Official title: Health Literacy and Cognitive Function among Middle-Aged Adults: The MidCog Study
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11105797 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how health knowledge and self-care skills in middle-aged adults might affect their brain health later in life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2021 |
| Project end | October 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $705,395 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG070212-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11105797 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are middle-aged adults, specifically those between 40 and 64 years old, interested in understanding how their health choices impact future brain health.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are already experiencing significant cognitive impairment or are outside the middle-aged adult range may not directly benefit from participating in this specific observational cohort.
What this research studies
This project aims to understand how factors in middle age, like how well you understand health information and manage your own care, might influence your memory and thinking abilities as you get older. We are recruiting middle-aged adults (ages 40-64) to join a group that will be followed over time. By looking at this age group, which is often overlooked in brain health research, we hope to find ways to prevent cognitive problems like Alzheimer's disease before they start. Many important health habits and conditions begin in middle age, and improving health literacy could be a key to protecting brain health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify new ways to prevent or delay cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease by focusing on health habits and understanding in middle age.
How similar studies have gone: While some studies have looked at cognitive changes in older adults, this project is novel in its focus on a diverse group of middle-aged adults and the specific role of health literacy in preventing later-life cognitive impairment.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wolf, Michael S — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Wolf, Michael S
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Genetics and Cognitive Function in Mexican Teachers Cohort for Alzheimer’s Dementia
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How childhood nutrition affects health, thinking, and life outcomes by middle age
This project compares people who got extra nutrition as children with those who did not to understand differences in health, thinking, and life outcomes in middle age.
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.