How exercise-related blood flow affects brain control of balance in older adults
Official title: Investigating cerebrovascular regulation during exercise as a factor influencing cortical resource engagement for balance control with aging
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11299574 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether changes in blood flow during exercise change how older adults' brains manage balance, especially for people with genetic risk for Alzheimer's.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | March 15, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $248,960 |
| NIH project number | 5R00AG075255-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11299574 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are older adults who can perform brief exercise and standing balance tests, including people with or without the APOE4 genetic risk for Alzheimer's.
✕Less likely to help
People with advanced dementia, severe mobility limitations, or who cannot attend in-person lab visits are unlikely to be able to participate or benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
You would be asked to come to the lab for in-person visits where researchers measure blood flow and brain activity while you do short bouts of exercise and standing balance tasks. They will record brain signals using EEG during balance reactions and compare how blood flow and brain activity link to balance performance. The team will also consider genetic risk (APOE4) to see if people with higher Alzheimer’s risk show different patterns. Results aim to show who is more likely to rely on thinking to keep balance and how that relates to fall and dementia risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways exercise or blood-flow-focused approaches might reduce balance-related falls and inform personalized prevention for people at risk of dementia.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research links lower cerebral blood flow and APOE4 to worse cognition and balance under load, but combining exercise blood-flow measures with EEG during real-time balance tasks is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Palmer, Jacqueline a — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Palmer, Jacqueline a
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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.