Persistent pollutants and early brain disease progression in Lewy body conditions
Official title: Persistent organic pollutants in prodromal Lewy Body Dementia: An exposomic investigation of neurotoxic exposures and clinical disease progression
Funded at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center · NIH-11449757 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will study how environmental pollutants in the brain may influence the early stages of Lewy body–related diseases in people with REM sleep behavior disorder.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Phoenix, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $657,088 |
| NIH project number | 1R01NS144223-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11449757 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder who are at risk of developing synucleinopathies and are willing to provide brain-related biosamples and participate in longitudinal assessments.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without REM sleep behavior disorder or those not at risk for synucleinopathies may not benefit from this study.
What this research studies
This project follows people with REM sleep behavior disorder, a condition strongly linked to later disorders like Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease. It will map exposure to persistent organic pollutants in the environment and measure related changes in brain chemistry and metabolism over time. Using a combination of geospatial exposure analyses and advanced metabolomics, the study aims to understand how these exposures might affect cognitive and motor decline in the prodromal phase of synucleinopathies. The findings could reveal modifiable environmental factors that influence disease progression and identify potential biomarkers for early intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could improve early detection and open avenues to reduce environmental risk factors that influence progression of Lewy body–related diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work in related fields has shown associations between certain environmental exposures and neurodegenerative processes, though this exact combination and progression in prodromal Lewy body diseases is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center
Phoenix, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Criswell, Susan — Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Criswell, Susan
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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.