Smell loss after head injury and later dementia risk
The inflammatory mechanisms underlying olfactory dysfunction in prognosis of TBI progression to dementia
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · NIH-11300232
This project looks at whether inflammation in the brain's smell center after a head injury explains why some people later develop dementia.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11300232 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will focus on people who had a traumatic brain injury and developed problems with smell. They will measure inflammation and Alzheimer-related markers in the olfactory bulb using imaging, lab tests, and analysis of samples, and will also use laboratory models to study how immune cells called microglia behave. The team plans to compare people with and without smell loss and test whether blocking a microglial protein called Hv1 can reduce inflammation and protect smell and brain cells in lab models. The goal is to find early signs that predict who is at higher risk of progressing from TBI to dementia and to point to new treatment targets.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults who have had a traumatic brain injury and now have new or worsening smell loss (anosmia or hyposmia).
Not a fit: People without a history of TBI or without smell loss, or patients with advanced, established dementia, are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help identify TBI survivors at higher risk of dementia and point to treatments to reduce inflammation and preserve smell and memory.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked smell loss and olfactory inflammation to dementia, but the specific role of microglia and the Hv1 pathway is a newer, largely preclinical direction.
Where this research is happening
BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE — BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: WU, JUNFANG — UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE
- Study coordinator: WU, JUNFANG
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.
Conditions: Alzheimer disease dementia, Alzheimer syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease and its related dementias