How inherited Alzheimer's mutations change nerve and muscle function
Official title: Investigating the role of Alzheimer's disease familial mutations in neuromuscular physiology
Funded at University of Central Florida · NIH-11314595 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looks at how inherited Alzheimer's mutations affect human nerve and muscle cells to see whether early movement changes could signal future Alzheimer's risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Central Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Orlando, United States) |
| Project start | May 15, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $743,502 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG077651-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11314595 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with a family history of familial Alzheimer's mutations, early unexplained motor or gait changes, or concerns about preclinical Alzheimer's risk would be most relevant to this line of work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with advanced Alzheimer's dementia are unlikely to benefit directly because the project focuses on early, preclinical nerve and muscle changes.
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, researchers are growing human nerve and muscle cells in the lab to recreate how Alzheimer's-related proteins (amyloid and tau) might harm the peripheral nervous system. They use functional systems that measure nerve-to-muscle signals and motor responses to see how familial Alzheimer's mutations alter those signals. The goal is to find measurable changes in movement-related cells that appear before memory problems develop. Those measurements could become early biomarkers to identify people at higher risk of Alzheimer's long before dementia starts.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal early nerve or muscle signs that help identify people at high risk for Alzheimer's before cognitive symptoms appear.
How similar studies have gone: Clinical studies have linked early gait and motor changes to later Alzheimer's, but lab models that use human peripheral nerve and muscle cells to study these effects are relatively new and not yet proven as diagnostic tools.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Central Florida
Orlando, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hickman, James J — University of Central Florida
- Study coordinator: Hickman, James J
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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.