Mapping the brain’s waste-clearance flows with AI
CRCNS: Waste-clearance flows in the brain measured using physics-informed neural network
This project uses AI that follows physical laws to map how fluid clears waste in the brain for people with Alzheimer’s and related brain injuries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11158694 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have memory problems from Alzheimer’s disease or have had a recent brain injury or stroke, this work aims to reveal how the brain clears waste using a new AI approach. The team will apply a physics-informed neural network to imaging data to estimate fluid speed and pressure in the brain’s glymphatic system. They will adapt the method to three imaging types—two-photon microscopy, whole-brain transcranial imaging, and dynamic contrast MRI—and test it on simulated and real data. The researchers will also check how imaging noise, resolution, and artifacts affect the AI’s estimates and compare results to existing measurements.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants would be people with Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, recent traumatic brain injury, or stroke who can undergo brain imaging.
Not a fit: People who cannot have the required imaging (for example due to implanted devices, severe claustrophobia, or inability to tolerate scans) or whose conditions are unrelated to glymphatic dysfunction are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the method could give clearer measurements of brain fluid flow and pressure that might point to new ways to detect or treat glymphatic failure in Alzheimer’s and brain injury.
How similar studies have performed: This is a novel application of physics-informed neural networks to glymphatic flows; related imaging and AI methods have provided useful insights but PINNs have not been previously used for this neuroscience problem.
Where this research is happening
Rochester, United States
- University of Rochester — Rochester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kelley, Douglas H — University of Rochester
- Study coordinator: Kelley, Douglas H
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.