How stress, body wear, and neighborhoods affect thinking in midlife and older adults
Official title: Examining the Role of Allostatic Load and Neighborhood Context in Cognitive Function Trajectories among Midlife and Older Americans
Funded at Xavier University of Louisiana · NIH-11399049 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how chronic stress and neighborhood conditions may influence thinking skills over time in adults aged 50 and up.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Xavier University of Louisiana NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Orleans, United States) |
| Project start | September 17, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $187,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R16NS141736-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11399049 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 50 and older, particularly those in the Health and Retirement Study cohort, with available data.
✕Less likely to help
If your data or neighborhood context do not align with the study variables, direct benefits may be limited.
What this research studies
If you’re aging and worried about memory, this study focuses on how long-term stress-related body changes and the places you live could shape cognitive ability. Researchers will use existing data from a large national study to see how allostatic load and neighborhood factors relate to changes in thinking skills over several years. The goal is to understand whether stress, neighborhood conditions, and their togetherness affect cognition as people age. This work could point to new ideas for improving brain health in aging populations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Gaining better insight into how stress and environment influence thinking as people age could guide strategies to protect brain health.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has linked stress-related physiological changes to cognitive outcomes, but this study emphasizes neighborhood context and longitudinal patterns.
Where this research is happening
-
Xavier University of Louisiana
New Orleans, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Thierry, Amy — Xavier University of Louisiana
- Study coordinator: Thierry, Amy
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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.