Neighborhood environments and brain health in older adults
Environmental Resources for Individual Cognitive Health/Resilience (EnRICH)
Links neighborhood factors like air pollution, green space, noise, and heat to memory, thinking, and everyday functioning in older adults at risk for Alzheimer's.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University Medical Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11300200 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You'll be asked to let researchers link where you've lived over time to detailed environmental data such as air pollution, green space, noise, temperature, walkability, and neighborhood resources. They will combine those exposure measures with health and cognitive information from five long-running U.S. cohorts of older adults to see how environments relate to memory and ability to do daily tasks. The team will look at combinations of exposures across the life course (the exposome) and whether effects differ across groups, including African American older adults. Findings could point to neighborhood-level changes that help protect thinking and everyday function as people age.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Older adults, especially those already enrolled in one of the five U.S. cohorts or living in areas with varying air quality, green space, or neighborhood resources, are the most relevant participants.
Not a fit: People who are not part of the linked cohorts or who lack a stable address history over time would be unlikely to participate or directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could identify environmental changes—like cleaner air or more green space—that help preserve memory and daily functioning in older adults.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has linked single factors such as air pollution or limited green space to higher dementia risk, but combining many exposures across time and diverse groups is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston University Medical Campus — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pescador Jimenez, Marcia Ixchel — Boston University Medical Campus
- Study coordinator: Pescador Jimenez, Marcia Ixchel
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.