How the aging and Alzheimer's brain uses energy during tasks and rest
Brain metabolism during task-evoked and spontaneous activity in aging and Alzheimer's disease
Researchers are measuring how brains in young people, older adults, and people with Alzheimer's use oxygen and glucose during tasks and rest to understand energy changes linked to aging and Alzheimer's.
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 ID | NIH-11456895 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be invited for PET and MRI imaging sessions that track how your brain uses oxygen and glucose while you rest and while you do simple tasks. The team will use FDG-PET to measure glucose use and MRI measurements to capture oxygen use and blood flow, allowing calculation of aerobic glycolysis. They will compare these metabolic measures and standard BOLD fMRI signals across young adults, older adults, and people with clinical or biomarker evidence of Alzheimer's. The project aims to show how aging and Alzheimer's change brain energy use during both task-evoked and spontaneous activity.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults aged 21 and older, including healthy young and older adults and people with clinical or biomarker evidence of Alzheimer's disease who can safely undergo PET and MRI.
Not a fit: People who need immediate clinical treatment or who cannot undergo PET/MRI (for example due to pregnancy, severe claustrophobia, or MRI-incompatible implants) are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This work could reveal metabolic signatures of Alzheimer's that help earlier diagnosis or point to new treatment targets.
How similar studies have performed: Previous PET and fMRI studies have linked blood flow and BOLD signals to brain activity, but simultaneous task-based measurements of oxygen and glucose metabolism in aging and Alzheimer's are relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vlassenko, Andrei G. — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Vlassenko, Andrei G.
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.