Lifelong factors affecting brain health in type 1 diabetes (CLARiFY)
Official title: Identifying lifelong factors that impact brain health and outcomes in type 1 diabetes: The Cognition and Longitudinal Assessments of Risk Factors over 30 Years (CLARiFY) Diabetes Complications Study
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11141108 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows people who were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in childhood into adulthood to find which lifelong health and lifestyle factors link to brain changes and thinking problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $442,439 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK129320-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11141108 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people who were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in childhood and can take part in long-term follow-up visits including brain scans and cognitive testing.
✕Less likely to help
People without type 1 diabetes, people with only type 2 diabetes, or those unable to complete MRI or cognitive testing are unlikely to directly benefit.
What this research studies
You would join a group of people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in childhood who have been followed for decades to track changes in the brain and thinking. The team uses repeated MRI brain scans, standardized cognitive tests, medical exams, and review of health records to connect blood sugar patterns, vascular complications, and life factors to cognitive and functional outcomes. This work builds on a unique long-running cohort with four prior waves of data and continues long-term follow-up to identify risk and resilience factors that shape everyday functioning. Participation may include clinic visits, imaging, cognitive testing, and sharing medical history.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could identify modifiable factors and monitoring strategies to help protect thinking and everyday function for people with type 1 diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous short-term and youth-focused studies have found brain and cognitive differences in type 1 diabetes, but long-term prospective data like this remain limited.
Where this research is happening
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University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Feldman, Eva Lucille — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Feldman, Eva Lucille
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how type 1 diabetes affects brain health over time
This study is looking at how type 1 diabetes affects brain health and thinking skills over time, from childhood to adulthood, to help find ways to support better brain function for people living with diabetes.
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Obesity and GLP-1 treatment in young people with type 1 diabetes
A study in teens and young adults with type 1 diabetes and obesity will look at how a GLP-1–based obesity medicine affects body fat distribution, insulin resistance, and lipids.
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Understanding what raises heart disease risk in people with well-controlled type 1 diabetes
Researchers are studying why some people with type 1 diabetes still develop heart disease even when traditional risk factors are controlled.
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Understanding Heart Disease Risks in People with Well-Controlled Type 1 Diabetes
This project looks at why people with Type 1 diabetes might still get heart disease, even when their other health factors are well-managed.
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Understanding and treating obesity in young people with type 1 diabetes
This research explores how a medication for obesity, called a GLP-1 analogue, helps young people with type 1 diabetes manage their weight and reduce heart-related health risks.
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Investigating cardiovascular disease risks in people with well-controlled type 1 diabetes
This study is looking into why people with well-managed type 1 diabetes still have a higher chance of heart problems, by comparing their heart and blood samples with those from people with type 2 diabetes and those without diabetes, to find out what makes their risks different.
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.