Sleep and dementia: a large resource to study how sleep problems relate to Alzheimer’s and related dementias
Official title: The Sleep and Dementia Consortium: a harmonized resource for studying the contributions of poor sleep to Incident Alzheimer's disease and related dementia
Funded at University of Texas Hlth Science Center · NIH-11531752 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large project uses brain sleep data and health records to understand how poor sleep may influence the development of Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Science Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Antonio, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2020 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $427,486 |
| NIH project number | 2R56AG062531-05A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11531752 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with a history of sleep problems or those at risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias may benefit from future translation of these findings.
✕Less likely to help
People without sleep issues or without risk factors for ADRD may not directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This project builds on many years of sleep and brain health data from thousands of participants to find sleep patterns linked to later dementia. Researchers will harmonize sleep tests, cognition scores, brain MRI data, and dementia outcomes across cohorts and apply machine learning to identify sleep phenotypes associated with ADRD risk. By focusing on insomnia and other sleep problems in diverse groups, the study aims to identify potential targets for reducing dementia risk related to sleep. The work will extend data collection with two more cohorts to broaden diversity and statistical power.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could inform new sleep-focused strategies to lower dementia risk and improve brain health in at-risk populations.
How similar studies have gone: Previous harmonized sleep and dementia studies have yielded important insights, and this project aims to build on that with larger, more diverse data and advanced analysis.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Hlth Science Center
San Antonio, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Himali, Jayandra Jung — University of Texas Hlth Science Center
- Study coordinator: Himali, Jayandra Jung
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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.