Incidental white matter changes on brain MRI in people with memory concerns
The Clinical Significance of Incidental White Matter Lesions on MRI Amongst a Diverse Population with Cognitive Complaints (INDEED)
Looking at whether small white matter changes seen on brain MRI relate to thinking and memory problems in older adults from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California at Davis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Davis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11320706 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you come in with minor memory or thinking concerns, the team will review your brain MRI for small white matter changes and ask about health issues like high blood pressure and diabetes. You may have brief memory and thinking tests over time and provide medical history and blood or imaging information used by doctors. The project focuses on people from diverse backgrounds, including African American and Hispanic participants, to see if risks differ between groups. The goal is to link MRI findings, vascular health, and other biomarkers to changes in memory and daily thinking over months or years.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are older adults with minor cognitive complaints or a recent brain MRI showing white matter changes, especially those from African American or Hispanic communities or with vascular risk factors.
Not a fit: People without cognitive complaints, younger adults, or those whose memory problems have a clear nonvascular cause may not directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors interpret incidental MRI findings and better predict who is at higher risk of memory decline so they can target vascular risk factors earlier.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work has linked white matter changes to memory decline and dementia, but studies focused on diverse populations and long-term outcomes are fewer.
Where this research is happening
Davis, United States
- University of California at Davis — Davis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Decarli, Charles — University of California at Davis
- Study coordinator: Decarli, Charles
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.