How years of schooling and school quality affect memory and dementia risk later in life
Genetic Differences in the Causal Effect of Education Quantity and Quality on Cognitive Functioning and Dementia Diagnosis Later in Life
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · NIH-11134515
This project looks at whether more years of schooling and better school quality help protect thinking skills and lower dementia risk as people get older.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11134515 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
This research will examine whether differences in how long people stayed in school and the quality of the schools they attended change thinking skills and dementia diagnosis later in life. The team will use past school reforms that changed compulsory schooling and curriculum as natural experiments, and combine that information with genetic data. They will link education histories to cognitive test results and dementia diagnoses in older adults to see long-term effects. The work aims to show whether improving schooling could reduce dementia risk and whether genetic differences change who benefits most.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are older adults with known schooling histories and available cognitive or dementia outcome data, especially those with genetic information.
Not a fit: People without records of education, cognitive testing, dementia diagnosis, or genetic data are unlikely to be part of or benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could guide education and public-health policies to help lower dementia risk and target prevention to those most likely to benefit.
How similar studies have performed: Many studies find that higher education is linked to lower dementia risk, but clear causal proof is limited and combining natural experiments with genetic data is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — Los Angeles, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: BARCELLOS, SILVIA HELENA — UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- Study coordinator: BARCELLOS, SILVIA HELENA
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.
Conditions: Alzheimer disease dementia, Alzheimer syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease