Helping older adults keep their thinking sharp as people live longer
Precision Aging Network: Closing the Gap Between Cognitive Healthspan andHuman Lifespan
This network uses brain and health data from people 65+ and big-data methods to learn why some older adults keep their minds healthy while others develop Alzheimer’s or related dementias.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Arizona NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tucson, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11184276 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective, researchers in this network gather brain measures, medical histories, and other health data from older adults to look for patterns that link biological aging to thinking skills. They combine data across sites and use large-scale, precision-medicine approaches to find markers of resilient versus declining brain function. The goal is to pinpoint mechanisms that explain why some people maintain good cognition into late life while others experience age-related cognitive impairment or dementia. Findings will be used to guide future personalized prevention and treatment efforts.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults aged 65 and older across the spectrum from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s who can provide health information and possibly biological samples or imaging data.
Not a fit: People under 65 or those with advanced, late-stage dementia seeking immediate treatments are unlikely to receive direct benefits from this research right away.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify tests and personalized strategies to prolong healthy thinking and reduce the risk or impact of dementia.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have linked brain biomarkers and aging to cognitive outcomes, but this coordinated precision-aging network applies larger-scale data integration and novel approaches that are broader than earlier work.
Where this research is happening
Tucson, United States
- University of Arizona — Tucson, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Barnes, Carol a. — University of Arizona
- Study coordinator: Barnes, Carol a.
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 below.