Ketone-based approaches to improve sleep, anesthesia safety, and memory in older adults
Official title: Metabolic Interventions for Sleep, Anesthesia-related Neurocognitive Disorders and Alzheimer's Disease
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11300188 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looks at whether giving the brain ketone fuel can improve sleep, lower anesthesia-related brain problems, and support memory in older adults and people with Alzheimer's.
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 15, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $530,816 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG076704-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11300188 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be older adults with poor sleep, people facing surgery who are at risk for anesthesia-related cognitive problems, or people with early-stage Alzheimer's disease.
✕Less likely to help
Younger people without age-related sleep or cognitive issues, or those whose problems have non-metabolic causes, are unlikely to benefit from these interventions.
What this research studies
This research will develop metabolic approaches—such as ketone supplements or dietary strategies—to boost the brain's energy use and reduce inflammation in aging brains. Researchers will measure sleep quality, markers of brain inflammation and energy use, and cognitive function to see whether ketone-based treatments help. The work links poor sleep, anesthesia-related cognitive problems, and Alzheimer's by targeting shared metabolic and inflammatory pathways. Some experiments are likely preclinical while others will involve older adults or patient-derived samples to connect lab findings to people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these approaches could improve sleep, reduce delirium or cognitive problems after surgery, and slow or ease memory loss in Alzheimer's disease.
How similar studies have gone: Animal studies and small human trials of ketone supplements or ketogenic diets show promising effects on brain energy and inflammation, but large trials for sleep and anesthesia outcomes or Alzheimer's are limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nehs, Christa Joy — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Nehs, Christa Joy
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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.