How tau buildup on brain scans links to thinking and memory across ages
Mathematical Models of Tau-PET Measures and Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer's Disease Across the Lifespan
The team will use brain tau scans and computer models to learn how tau buildup links to memory and thinking in people with or at risk for Alzheimer’s across different ages.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11310831 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would not need to join a new treatment; researchers are using existing tau-PET scans, blood biomarkers, and cognitive test records from people across the age range when Alzheimer’s appears. They apply mathematical and computational models (methods borrowed from infectious-disease modeling) to map the timing and pace of tau spread and how that predicts later brain shrinkage and thinking problems. The project also looks at other factors such as amyloid and vascular burden to see how they change the tau–cognition link. The goal is to find when tau-targeting therapies might best be started and how long they should be given.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with Alzheimer’s, people at high risk for Alzheimer’s (for example older adults with amyloid positivity), or those who have had tau-PET scans or similar biomarker testing are most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: People without Alzheimer-type tau pathology or those with non-Alzheimer’s causes of dementia are less likely to see direct benefit from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors and researchers pick the best timing and duration for tau-targeting treatments to slow or prevent thinking decline.
How similar studies have performed: There are prior tau-PET and biomarker studies, but using advanced, lifespan-spanning mathematical models to link tau timing to cognitive decline is a relatively new and developing approach.
Where this research is happening
Providence, United States
- Brown University — Providence, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ackley, Sarah — Brown University
- Study coordinator: Ackley, Sarah
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.