How diabetes affects the brain and memory in Latino adults
Official title: Effect of diabetes and AD pathology on brain imaging and cognition in Latino adults
Funded at University of Southern California · NIH-11297718 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are comparing brain scans and memory tests before and after a glucose drink in middle-aged Latino adults with and without type 2 diabetes to see how diabetes may affect the brain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 30, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,134,850 |
| NIH project number | 4R01AG078362-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11297718 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are middle-aged Latino adults, with or without type 2 diabetes, who can undergo blood draws, MRI scans, and a 75 g glucose challenge and return for follow-up testing.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not within the study's age or ethnic eligibility, cannot have MRI scans, or cannot tolerate the glucose drink are unlikely to be helped by this specific project.
What this research studies
You would join about 200 middle-aged Latino adults, some with type 2 diabetes and some without, who will have brain scans, blood tests, and memory tests. After fasting, you'll have baseline bloodwork and brain imaging, drink a 75 g glucose solution, and have scans repeated two hours later to observe how blood sugar changes brain blood flow and connectivity. Researchers will measure plasma p-tau181 and other metabolic markers and bring you back after about two years to repeat tests and see which brain measures predict memory decline. The team is especially focused on neurovascular measures like cerebrovascular reactivity, cerebral blood flow, functional connectivity, and blood–brain barrier permeability.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify brain and blood markers that help predict who with diabetes is at higher risk for memory decline and point to targets for prevention.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research links type 2 diabetes to higher Alzheimer's risk and has shown glucose-related changes in brain blood flow, but combining glucose-challenge imaging with plasma p-tau181 and two-year follow-up in Latino adults is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yassine, Hussein N — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Yassine, Hussein N
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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.