How depression, inflammation, and biological aging relate to memory and thinking
Depression, Inflammation, Biological Age and Cognitive Function
This project looks at whether depression, body inflammation, and signs of faster biological aging together relate to memory and thinking problems in older adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Albert Einstein College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bronx, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11092290 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will follow older adults over time with interviews, memory and thinking tests, and blood draws to measure inflammation and biological aging markers like DNA methylation age and telomere length. They will compare depressive symptoms, inflammatory markers, and aging signs to see how they combine or interact to predict mild cognitive impairment and dementia. The team will also examine how race, gender, perceived discrimination, lifetime adversity, and socioeconomic status change these links. Multiple visits over time let researchers track changes in cognitive health and biological measures.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Older adults who can complete questionnaires, cognitive testing, and blood draws—especially people with a history of depression or concerns about memory—would be good candidates.
Not a fit: Younger people, those with advanced dementia who cannot participate in testing, or anyone unwilling to provide blood samples or attend follow-up visits may not benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could help identify which combinations of depression, inflammation, and accelerated aging raise dementia risk and point to targets for preventing or delaying cognitive decline.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked depression, inflammation, and aging markers separately to cognitive decline, but combining these measures and testing their interactions in diverse groups is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
Bronx, United States
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine — Bronx, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Engeland, Christopher G — Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Engeland, Christopher G
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.