Midlife brain structure and future Alzheimer's risk
Quantifying Individual Differences in Midlife Structural Brain Integrity Associated with Later AD/ADRD Risk
This work looks at whether differences in brain structure in midlife can signal higher risk for Alzheimer's and related dementias later in life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11379378 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of research that uses brain imaging and other health data collected in midlife to find early signs of declining brain integrity. Researchers compare structural brain measures across individuals and link those measures to later cognitive outcomes and dementia diagnoses. The goal is to find reliable midlife biological markers that change before symptoms appear so future prevention trials can use them as earlier outcomes. Data come from long-term follow-up of people studied over many years to track who develops cognitive decline.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults in midlife without dementia, especially those with known risk factors for Alzheimer's disease who can undergo brain imaging and long-term follow-up.
Not a fit: People who already have diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease or advanced dementia are unlikely to benefit from midlife-focused biomarker findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify people at higher Alzheimer's risk earlier and allow prevention efforts to start in midlife before severe decline.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has linked midlife risk factors and brain changes to later dementia, but using midlife structural brain markers as practical surrogate outcomes for prevention trials is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hariri, Ahmad R. — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Hariri, Ahmad R.
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.