Low-intensity ultrasound to boost brain waste clearance in Alzheimer’s
Official title: Low-intensity, non-targeted transcranial ultrasound for enhancing glymphatic function in Alzheimer's disease treatment
Funded at North Carolina Agri & Tech St Univ · NIH-11301468 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study tests a gentle ultrasound approach to help the brain clear amyloid waste in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | North Carolina Agri & Tech St Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Greensboro, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $410,351 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AG093950-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11301468 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia who are being considered for brain-clearance therapies and can tolerate noninvasive ultrasound.
✕Less likely to help
People without Alzheimer’s or with conditions making ultrasound unsuitable may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
This project will explore a new, noninvasive ultrasound method that may improve how the brain clears waste in Alzheimer’s patients. It aims to enhance glymphatic flow without opening the blood-brain barrier, potentially reducing the buildup of harmful proteins. If successful, the approach could be used in combination with existing therapies to support brain health in people living with AD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this method could improve brain waste clearance and support current Alzheimer’s treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Previous noninvasive brain-stimulation approaches have shown promise, but this specific BBB-sparing ultrasound method is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
North Carolina Agri & Tech St Univ
Greensboro, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Aryal, Muna — North Carolina Agri & Tech St Univ
- Study coordinator: Aryal, Muna
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Focused ultrasound to help brain immune cells clear Alzheimer plaques
This project uses MRI-guided focused ultrasound to deliver a therapy that changes microglia in people with Alzheimer's so they can clear amyloid plaques and protect neurons.
-
Targeting microglial cells to improve Alzheimer's disease treatment
This study is exploring a new way to help people with Alzheimer's by using focused ultrasound to deliver treatments that help brain cells clear harmful plaques, with the hope of improving memory and thinking skills without causing extra inflammation.
-
Using ultrasound to help deliver drugs for Alzheimer's disease treatment
This study is looking at a new way to help treat Alzheimer's disease by using sound waves to temporarily open the barrier that protects the brain, making it easier for medicine to reach the areas affected by the disease.
-
Understanding how brain activity changes may drive Alzheimer’s disease progression in a mouse model
Researchers are testing how changes in brain signals and protein cleanup processes affect the development of Alzheimer’s disease in mice.
-
Thiamine-boosting therapy for Alzheimer’s: understanding how benfotiamine may reduce harmful AGE in DP patients
A medication-based approach using high-dose vitamin B1 (benfotiamine) is studied to help people with Alzheimer's by reducing harmful sugar-related molecules.
-
Non-invasive tears biomarker for early Alzheimer's in LMICs
A low-cost, tear-based biomarker approach aims to detect early Alzheimer’s disease in older adults in Peru and similar settings.
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.