How inputs to the hippocampus change in Alzheimer's disease
Dynamics of Hippocampal Inputs in Alzheimer's Disease
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · NIH-11190510
This project tests whether loss of a specific inhibitory brain cell type in the hippocampus leads to memory problems in people with Alzheimer's disease.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11190510 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers will use an advanced implant to record activity from multiple brain regions involved in memory as mice with Alzheimer's-like changes and healthy mice learn and remember places. They will compare signals coming into the hippocampal area CA1 from the medial entorhinal cortex and CA3 during memory encoding, consolidation, and retrieval. The team will specifically look at the role of somatostatin-expressing inhibitory neurons, which are lost early in Alzheimer's, to see how their loss changes the balance of inputs and destabilizes spatial memory maps. Findings aim to reveal circuit mechanisms that could guide future treatments to protect or restore memory function.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for eventual clinical follow-up would be older adults with early Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment who are interested in trials targeting hippocampal circuits.
Not a fit: People without memory problems, those with non-Alzheimer causes of dementia, or those with very advanced Alzheimer's are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic science project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new targets or strategies to preserve or restore hippocampal circuit function and improve spatial memory in people with Alzheimer's disease.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal studies show early loss of inhibitory neurons in Alzheimer's and that boosting inhibition can improve memory in models, but simultaneous recordings across CA1, CA3, and medial entorhinal cortex during memory phases is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE — BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: AERY JONES, EMILY ASTER — UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE
- Study coordinator: AERY JONES, EMILY ASTER
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.