Transport challenges and aging brains: how getting around affects Alzheimer’s and related dementias
Official title: Transport Disadvantage and Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease–Related Dementias: A Longitudinal Study of Trajectories and Impacts
Funded at University of Memphis · NIH-11298794 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A long-term study in adults 65+ will explore how transportation difficulties relate to thinking and memory changes and what this means for preventing dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Memphis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $389,999 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AG092784-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11298794 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults (65+) in the U.S. who participate in NHATS or similar cohorts and who experience or are at risk for transportation barriers.
✕Less likely to help
The study is observational and relies on existing data; individuals with no transportation barriers may see limited direct personal benefit.
What this research studies
If you or a loved one has limited access to transportation, this study looks at how those barriers appear over time and whether they are linked to the start of Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. Researchers will use NHATS data to track transportation problems and cognitive health in a nationally representative group of older adults. They will examine how personal travel choices may influence dementia risk and test scenarios that could improve mobility and brain health. This work aims to identify modifiable transportation factors that could lower dementia risk in aging populations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Findings could help communities and clinicians design better transportation options to support brain health in older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has linked mobility limitations to cognitive decline, with this study aiming to clarify trajectories and causal pathways on a national scale.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Memphis
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yang, Yong — University of Memphis
- Study coordinator: Yang, Yong
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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.