Understanding cerebrospinal fluid flow in aging and Alzheimer's disease
Official title: Imaging brain-wide subarachnoid and perivascular cerebrospinal fluid flow in aging and Alzheimer's disease
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-10890172 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how the fluid in your brain moves, especially as we age and in people with Alzheimer's, to see if understanding this flow can help us find better ways to treat the disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $133,920 |
| NIH project number | 5K99AG083056-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10890172 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias, as well as healthy older adults for comparative analysis.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other neurological conditions unrelated to Alzheimer's disease may not receive direct benefits from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to investigate how cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flows in the brain, particularly in relation to aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). By developing advanced imaging techniques, the study will explore CSF flow dynamics in areas of the brain that are crucial for clearing toxic proteins associated with AD. The goal is to better understand how disruptions in CSF flow may contribute to the progression of Alzheimer's and related dementias. Patients may benefit from insights that could lead to new treatment strategies targeting CSF flow and clearance.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved understanding and potential new therapies for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
How similar studies have gone: While studies on CSF flow have been conducted in animals, this approach is novel in humans and aims to fill significant gaps in understanding CSF dynamics in the context of Alzheimer's disease.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dong, Zijing — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Dong, Zijing
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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.