How perimenopause affects brain changes linked to Alzheimer's

Analytic

NIH-funded research University of Arizona · NIH-11129673

This project looks at brain and blood changes during perimenopause in middle-aged women to find early signs linked to Alzheimer's risk.

Quick facts

Grant typeP01 program project
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Arizona NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Tucson, United States)
Project IDNIH-11129673 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

I would be asked to provide blood, brain tissue samples if applicable, and other biological samples that get carefully processed and stored. The team will run large-scale tests like bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing, metabolomics, and lipidomics to measure molecular changes. Their analytic core will combine and analyze those data with advanced bioinformatics to find patterns tied to increased Alzheimer's risk. The goal is to translate those findings into ways to predict or prevent Alzheimer's in women after the menopausal transition.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants are perimenopausal or recently postmenopausal women, especially those with memory concerns or a family history of Alzheimer's.

Not a fit: Men, much younger women far from menopause, or people with advanced Alzheimer's dementia are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this program's findings.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to earlier detection of Alzheimer's risk in women and new prevention strategies tailored to the menopausal transition.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked menopause to brain changes and Alzheimer's risk, but applying large-scale multi-omics and single-cell analysis across perimenopause is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Tucson, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Alzheimer disease dementiaAlzheimer syndromeAlzheimer's DiseaseAlzheimer's disease risk
Last reviewed 2026-06-09 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.