How the brain clears fluid and Alzheimer-related proteins after a head injury
Brain fluid clearance and misfolded protein dynamics following traumatic brain injury
Using brain scans, doctors will measure how well people who recently had a traumatic brain injury clear fluid and Alzheimer's-related proteins from the brain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11134653 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you recently had a traumatic brain injury (TBI), this project would bring you in for advanced brain scans to track how cerebrospinal and interstitial fluids move and clear waste. You may get MRI-based clearance measurements and PET scans to look for amyloid-β, a protein linked to Alzheimer's disease. Researchers will follow your memory, thinking, and functional recovery over time and compare those results with the imaging measures. The goal is to see whether poorer fluid clearance after TBI is linked to persistent amyloid and worse recovery.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults who recently experienced a traumatic brain injury and are able to undergo MRI and PET scans and attend follow-up visits.
Not a fit: People without a history of TBI or those who cannot safely have MRI/PET scans (for example, due to pregnancy or incompatible implants) are unlikely to benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify people after TBI who are at higher risk for lingering brain protein buildup and later cognitive decline, guiding closer monitoring or future treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies and early human data show amyloid release and reduced clearance after TBI, but using serial human PET/MRI clearance measures to predict outcomes over a year is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Butler, Tracy a. — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Butler, Tracy a.
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.