How iron-deficiency anemia in later childhood affects the brain and thinking
Official title: Neurocognitive Effects of Late-Childhood Iron Deficiency Anemia
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11169048 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at girls and young women aged 12–21 with iron-deficiency anemia to see how it changes brain metabolism, blood flow, and thinking using cognitive tests and MRI scans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $774,186 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL169591-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11169048 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are females aged 12–21 who have been diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia.
✕Less likely to help
People without iron-deficiency anemia, males, or those outside the 12–21 age range are unlikely to be eligible or directly benefit from this specific project.
What this research studies
If you are a girl or young woman aged 12–21 with iron-deficiency anemia, researchers will invite you to do memory and attention tests and have MRI scans that measure brain blood flow, oxygen use, and brain connections at the time your anemia is diagnosed and at follow-up. The team plans to enroll about 88 participants and will link the MRI measures to performance on cognitive tests to understand how anemia affects the brain. They will look for signs that some brain changes improve with treatment while others may last longer. The goal is to map short- and long-term effects of late-childhood anemia on brain structure, function, and thinking.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could show which brain effects of late-childhood iron-deficiency anemia are reversible and guide better timing for screening and treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked early- and late-childhood iron deficiency to poorer cognitive performance, but applying MRI measures of cerebral metabolism and connectivity in this age group is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fields, Melanie Erin — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Fields, Melanie Erin
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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This study looks at how iron-deficiency anemia in late childhood and adolescence may affect thinking skills and brain development in young females.
-
Brain blood flow and oxygen use in adult iron deficiency anemia
This study looks at how moderate iron deficiency anemia in adults affects brain blood flow, oxygen use, and thinking abilities, and whether iron treatment can reverse any problems.
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Predicting pregnancy and newborn iron-deficiency risk linked to stress during pregnancy
This project uses computer models to predict which pregnant people and their newborns might develop iron-deficiency anemia after stress during pregnancy.
-
How iron-deficiency anemia affects adult brain blood flow, oxygen, and memory
This project tests whether treating moderate iron-deficiency anemia can improve brain blood flow, oxygen use, and thinking in adult women.
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.