MRI to detect brain inflammation in Alzheimer’s
Quantitative Endogenous MRI Imaging of Neuroinflammation in AD
This project develops a new MRI method to find and measure brain inflammation in people with Alzheimer's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11259471 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project is creating a new MRI approach called Diffusion Dictionary Imaging (DDI) that tracks water movement in the brain to pick up small changes from immune cells such as microglia and astrocytes. It uses standard FDA-approved diffusion MRI scans combined with advanced data processing so the test should be safe and relatively inexpensive. The team will apply DDI to new scans and to previously collected MRI data from long-term Alzheimer's cohorts to map how inflammation changes over time. If successful, it could provide a noninvasive way to monitor brain inflammation alongside existing PET and fluid biomarkers.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment who can undergo an MRI and who may have prior MRI records available for comparison.
Not a fit: People without Alzheimer’s disease or those who cannot have an MRI (for example due to incompatible implants or severe claustrophobia) are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could give patients a safe, affordable scan that shows brain inflammation and helps guide diagnosis and treatment choices.
How similar studies have performed: Other approaches like PET scans and CSF or blood tests can detect neuroinflammation, but the DDI diffusion-MRI approach is novel and not yet proven in clinical practice.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Qing — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Wang, Qing
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.