How blood vessel health relates to brain and body aging in schizophrenia
The Vascular Axis in Schizophrenia Brain-Body Aging
This project looks at whether blood vessel problems speed up brain and body aging in people with schizophrenia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11284106 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a team measuring blood vessel health and stress markers alongside advanced brain scans to see how they relate to aging in people with schizophrenia. Researchers will collect blood and other vascular biology measures and use cutting-edge MRI methods that reveal white matter and brain aging. They will compare these measures between people with schizophrenia and comparison groups to find body-to-brain pathways. The goal is to pinpoint vascular and stress-related factors that might explain higher medical and brain aging burden in this group.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults diagnosed with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders who can travel to the study site and are willing to have blood tests and MRI scans are best suited for this project.
Not a fit: People without a schizophrenia-spectrum diagnosis or those unable/unwilling to undergo MRI or blood draws are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to earlier screening and better ways to manage cardiovascular and brain aging risks in people with schizophrenia.
How similar studies have performed: Previous imaging studies have shown accelerated brain aging in schizophrenia and vascular links to brain health in the general population, but combining detailed vascular biomarkers with advanced brain imaging in schizophrenia is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hong, L Elliot Elliot — University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston
- Study coordinator: Hong, L Elliot Elliot
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.