How brain tau patterns link to early memory and speech changes
Regional tau deposition and digital assessment of cognition in preclinical AD and MCI
This project looks at whether where tau builds up in the brain is connected to early memory and language changes in people with preclinical Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment using brain scans and speech-based tests.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California at Davis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Davis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11413073 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient’s point of view, researchers will combine brain PET scans that measure tau and amyloid with traditional memory tests and recordings of spoken responses during cognitive testing. They will extract digital speech features from those recordings and follow people over time to see which brain patterns match changes in episodic and semantic memory. The work uses large groups including people who are cognitively normal with or without amyloid, and people with amyloid-positive mild cognitive impairment. The goal is to link regional tau deposition to specific kinds of memory decline using both standard tests and novel speech markers.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults who are cognitively normal but have Alzheimer biomarkers or those with mild cognitive impairment, especially people willing to have PET scans and in-person testing.
Not a fit: People with advanced dementia, non-Alzheimer causes of memory problems, or those unwilling to undergo PET imaging or in-person assessments are unlikely to benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help detect Alzheimer-related memory decline earlier and offer easier ways to monitor change using speech recordings.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have linked regional tau to memory decline and early work shows speech analysis can pick up cognitive changes, but combining detailed tau mapping with digital speech markers is a more recent approach.
Where this research is happening
Davis, United States
- University of California at Davis — Davis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Young, Christina B — University of California at Davis
- Study coordinator: Young, Christina B
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.