How alcohol affects balance, walking, and thinking in people with mild cognitive impairment
Official title: Alcohol: A Modifiable Risk Factor for Ataxia and Decline in MCI
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11123318 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project compares how different levels of alcohol use affect balance, walking speed, and cognitive decline in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and similar people without MCI.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 1996 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $713,314 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA010723-28 |
| Project ID | NIH-11123318 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are older adults diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment who consume alcohol at various levels and can attend baseline and follow-up testing sessions.
✕Less likely to help
People without MCI, those with severe dementia or conditions that prevent safe balance or gait testing, or those unwilling to report alcohol use or attend follow-ups may not benefit directly from participation.
What this research studies
You would have tests of your balance, natural walking speed, and thinking skills at the start and again at follow-up visits while researchers record how much you drink. They will compare people with MCI to matched control participants and use statistical modeling to look at how alcohol, sex, sensory function, nutrition, activity levels, and daily functioning interact. The team will track whether higher alcohol use is linked to worse balance, slower gait, and faster progression from MCI toward dementia. Measurements include static postural stability, dynamic gait metrics, cognitive testing, and blood measures related to nutrition.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If confirmed, the results could inform safer alcohol guidelines and fall-prevention advice for people living with MCI.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research links alcohol to balance problems and cognitive decline, but applying longitudinal gait measures and causal modeling specifically in MCI populations is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sullivan, Edith Vioni — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Sullivan, Edith Vioni
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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.