Identifying who is resistant or resilient to Alzheimer's disease
Official title: Building predictive algorithms to identify resilience and resistance to Alzheimer's disease
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11049081 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking to find out why some older adults stay mentally sharp even when they have signs of Alzheimer's disease, and it aims to create tools that can help doctors predict who might be more resilient, using simple health information.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $962,469 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG079142-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11049081 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are older adults aged 65 and above, particularly those with varying levels of Alzheimer's disease pathology.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are younger than 65 or those with advanced Alzheimer's disease may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to develop predictive algorithms that can identify individuals who either resist the accumulation of Alzheimer's disease pathology or remain cognitively healthy despite having such pathology. By analyzing data from a large and diverse group of older adults, the study will explore how various factors, including demographics and health history, influence resilience and resistance to Alzheimer's. The goal is to create models that can accurately predict these outcomes based on easily accessible medical information. This could significantly improve clinical decision-making and enhance the recruitment process for clinical trials.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better identification of individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease, allowing for earlier interventions and personalized treatment strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in identifying resilience and resistance to Alzheimer's using predictive modeling, but this study aims to enhance these approaches with a larger and more diverse dataset.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Buckley, Rachel Frances — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Buckley, Rachel Frances
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how the brain stays resilient to Alzheimer's disease
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Social support and dementia risk in sexual and gender minority adults
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Understanding why some very old people stay cognitively sharp or become vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease
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Microglial diversity and cognitive resilience in aging and Alzheimer's disease
A physician-scientist at Mayo Clinic is pursuing a five-year career development plan to understand how different microglia behave in aging and Alzheimer’s, aiming to improve brain health and resilience.
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Why some brains resist or cope with Alzheimer's
Researchers use brain scans and long-term health records to find why some older adults avoid or cope better with Alzheimer's changes.
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.