Understanding Alzheimer's Disease in Patients with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
Official title: An investigation of Alzheimer's Disease pathology, microglial immune response, and CSF proteomics in normal pressure hydrocephalus patients
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11094792 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at brain tissue and spinal fluid from older patients having hydrocephalus surgery to understand how early Alzheimer's disease affects them.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $793,799 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG073360-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11094792 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research involves elderly patients who are undergoing surgery for normal pressure hydrocephalus and have brain tissue and CSF samples collected.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have normal pressure hydrocephalus or are not undergoing related surgery would not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
This research uses brain tissue and spinal fluid collected during hydrocephalus surgery in older patients. Researchers are examining these samples for signs of early Alzheimer's disease, such as amyloid plaques and tau pathology. They are also studying the immune response in the brain, specifically how microglia cells behave. The goal is to connect these findings in the tissue and fluid with how patients are doing clinically. This helps us learn more about how Alzheimer's disease might contribute to symptoms in people with hydrocephalus.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better ways to identify and understand early Alzheimer's disease in patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus, potentially guiding more personalized treatment approaches.
How similar studies have gone: While previous studies have looked at Alzheimer's pathology in autopsy samples, this research offers a novel approach by examining fresh surgical biopsies and CSF from living patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Teich, Andrew Franklin — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Teich, Andrew Franklin
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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.