Nerve and brain causes of getting weaker with age
Neural mechanisms of age-related weakness
This project looks at whether reduced nerve signals from the brain make older adults lose strength and whether fixing those nerve changes can help them stay stronger.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio University Athens NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Athens, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11113990 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, researchers will follow older adults over time, measuring muscle strength and nerve activation to see if low nerve signals predict future strength loss. If you take part, you may have strength tests and noninvasive nerve and muscle recordings during clinic visits. The team will also do experiments in rodents to change nerve excitability and see if that causes weakness and if reversing it restores strength. Combining what they find in people and animals helps show cause-and-effect and points to treatments that could be tested in future clinical trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are older adults concerned about muscle weakness or declining mobility who can attend clinic visits and complete strength and nerve-function tests.
Not a fit: You may not benefit directly if you are a younger person, have a non-age-related primary muscle disease, or cannot safely undergo the clinic testing required by the project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments that target nerve activation to preserve or restore strength and mobility in older adults.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies, including work by the investigators, have linked lower nerve excitability to weakness, but combining longitudinal human tracking with causal rodent experiments is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Athens, United States
- Ohio University Athens — Athens, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Clark, Brian C — Ohio University Athens
- Study coordinator: Clark, Brian C
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.